Crust:
5 oz. Animal crackers
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.
From Jane Metler. mlre.org