Lemon Cheesecake

Per Lorraine's request, here is Mom's recipe for lemon cheesecake. A neighbor shared it with her years ago in Twin Falls, Idaho, but Mom thinks that the recipe originally came from an issue of Bon Appetite magazine. It may look like a long list of ingredients, but it's well worth it! The graham cracker crust is filled with smooth lemon cheesecake and topped with sweetened sour cream. As a grand finishing touch, everything is covered with a layer of tangy lemon glaze. In the past, I've replaced the graham cracker crumbs in the crust with an equal amount of Nilla Wafer or animal cracker crumbs. They have a lighter and more delicate taste that bring out the creamy and tangy lemon flavors of the filling and toppings. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

Crust -
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
6 T. melted butter
2 T. granulated sugar

Filling -
3 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping -
2 c. sour cream
3 T. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze -
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cold water
1/2 c. boiling water
1 egg yolk
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
1 T. cold butter
1 T. fresh lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the ingredients for the crust. Press the crust into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake for 5 minutes.

As the crust bakes, beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until they are well mixed and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time on a low speed, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition. Mix in the lemon juice, zest, and vanilla. Pour the filling over the hot crust and bake for another 30 minutes.

Blend the ingredients for the sour cream topping. Pour over the hot cheesecake and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool the cheesecake on a rack for 30 minutes before adding the glaze.

To make the glaze, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a microwave safe container. (I like to use a 2 or 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup.) Whisk in the 1/4 cup cold water and stir into a smooth paste. Add the 1/2 cup boiling water and stir well. Microwave the glaze on high for 60-90 seconds until it is clear and bubbly. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk. Add about 2 Tablespoons of the hot glaze to the egg and mix until smooth. This tempering will keep the glaze smooth and free of scrambled eggs. Pour the egg mixture back into the glaze and whisk it all together with the lemon juice. Microwave for another 30-60 seconds. Be careful at this stage, because overcooking the glaze will make it thick and clumpy. Stir in the butter and lemon zest and microwave the glaze one last time for about 30 seconds. Pour the warm glaze over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight, before serving.

Bread Baking

I know, I have not done well at keeping this blog current. I have not done well at keeping my clean laundry current either . . .

I would love to have more contributors, so if you're interested in making posts and/or sharing some recipes, please leave me a comment and I'll add you as an author pronto! In the mean time, here is a food related post I made on our family blog earlier this evening.

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My mom is an expert at making the best homemade, 100% whole wheat bread in the world. Up until now, I've managed to avoiding making it for myself. Sneaking a loaf of warm bread was one of the advantages of living so close to Mom and Dad. I went without this bread for two years while my parents lived in Germany during their first LDS mission. I only lasted four months into this mission before getting desperate and brave enough to try to make some myself.

Now, let me be clear, this bread is not difficult to make, but it does take precision. My parents even made a DVD of the whole process so that one can learn Mom's tricks and techniques. So, I was super proud when my dough reached the perfect elasticity. I was thrilled when the unbaked loaves rose and domed high above the pans. I beamed when Andy came into the kitchen as the bread was baking and sighed, "What's dat good smell?" I even called my Mom on Skype* so that I could show off my perfect bread as I pulled loaf after loaf from the hot oven.

Perfect in every way but one . . .



. . . I forgot to grease the pans. My pride got the best of me. How could I do everything right and then forget to grease the pans??? Mom watched and smiled from my computer screen as I sawed out each loaf with a plastic knife (so as not to damage her magic bread pans). The bread tasted divine. The crumb was perfect, and the crust was golden.

But I'll admit, I was a little bummed that they weren't perfectly pretty.