Equipment Needed
- A sharp knife or pizza cutter
- Pastry brush (a silicone brush works great)
- Two large baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Medium mixing bowl
- Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
- Rubber spatula
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, let’s make our sweet chips. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Using your knife, slice each tortilla into 6 triangles, just like you’re cutting a pizza. In a small bowl, melt the butter. Arrange the tortilla triangles in a single layer on the sheets—don’t let them crowd each other, or they’ll steam instead of crisp. Use your pastry brush to lightly but thoroughly coat each triangle with melted butter, then sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar. I learned the hard way that skimping on the butter leads to pale, sad chips. Bake for 8-10 minutes, but watch them like a hawk after the 7-minute mark! They go from perfectly golden to burnt in what feels like seconds. You want them crisp and lightly browned at the edges.
While those are baking and filling your kitchen with that incredible aroma, let’s make the cheesecake topping. In your mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until it’s completely smooth and fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with your spatula—I always find a bit of un-incorporated cream cheese hiding at the bottom. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks. Now, gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until no white streaks remain. Be gentle here; you want to keep that airy lightness. Set this beautiful, cloud-like filling aside.
Next, we’ll create a simple strawberry sauce that ties everything together. In your small saucepan, warm the strawberry jam with the lemon juice over low heat, stirring until it’s loose and syrupy. This takes just a minute or two. If you’re in a hurry, you can do this in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Take it off the heat and gently fold in your fresh strawberry slices. The warmth from the syrup will slightly soften the berries and make them glisten. The lemon juice is key—it cuts the sweetness and makes the strawberry flavor pop. Don’t skip it!
Now, for the best part: assembly. Once your tortilla chips are out of the oven and have cooled for just a minute (they need to be crisp, not soft from steam), arrange a generous layer on a large platter or board. Dollop big spoonfuls of the cheesecake topping all over the chips. Don’t be shy! Then, spoon the glossy strawberry mixture over everything, letting it drip and pool in the most tempting way. I like to serve it immediately while the chips are still warm and slightly crisp against the cool, creamy topping—the contrast is absolutely divine.(See the next page below to continue…)