Laura's Lemon Cheesecake

Lemon Cheesecake

Crust:

5 oz. Animal crackers, or 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

3 T. sugar

4 T. melted butter

Filling:

1 1/4 c. sugar

1 Tb. grated zest plus 1/4 c. juice from 1 or 2 lemons

3- 8oz. Cream cheese at room temp

4 lg. Eggs-room temp.

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. heavy cream

Lemon Curd:

1/3 c. juice from 2 lemons

2 lg. Eggs plus 1 lg. Egg yolk

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. butter, cut into cubes, chilled

1 T. heavy cream

1/4 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

Crust:  Preheat oven to 325.  In food processor, process cookies to fine

crumbs.  Add sugar and melted butter in steady stream to moisten.  Transfer

to bottom of 9 inch springform pan.  Press evenly onto bottom only.  Bake

for 15-18 min.

Filling:

While crust is cooling, process 1/4 c. of sugar and lemon zest in food

processor-about 15 sec.  Transfer lemon sugar to small bowl and stir in

remaining sugar.

With mixer, beat cream cheese to soften and add sugar mixture, increasing

speed to med and cont. to beat until creamy and smooth-about 3 min.  Reduce

speed to med/low and add eggs 2 at a time, beat until incorporated, about 30

sec.  Add lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and mix until just incorporated.  Add

heavy cream and mix until just incorp.  Pour into prepared pan-double

wrapped with foil.  Place in hot water bath and bake about 55-60 min.  Turn

off oven and prop oven door open with wooden spoon handle for 1 hr. 

Transfer pan to cooling rack and cool to room temp-about 2 hrs.

Lemon Curd:

While cheesecake bakes, heat lemon juice over med heat to hot but not

boiling.  Whisk eggs and yolk in med bowl, stir in sugar.  Whisking

constantly, slowly pour hot lemon juice into eggs, then return mixture to

saucepan and cook over med heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon just

until mixture is thick enough to cling to spoon, about 3 min.  Immediately

remove pan from heat and stir in cold butter.  Stir in cream, vanilla, salt

and pour through fine mesh into nonreactive bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap

and refrigerate until needed.

When cheesecake is cool, scrape lemon curd onto cheesecake.  Cover tightly

with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.