Creamy Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
30 vanilla wafer cookies
4 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
15 ounces ricotta cheese
4 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
In food processor with knife blade attached or in blender at medium
speed, blend vanilla wafers until fine crumbs form (makes about 1cup
crumbs). Preheat oven to 375�F. In small saucepan, melt butter over
low heat; stir in 1 tsp lemon peel. In a 9" by 3" springform pan,
with a fork, stir wafer crumbs and melted butter mixture until
moistened. With hand, press mixture firmly onto the bottom of the
pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack,
about 30 minutes. Wrap outside of pan with foil.
Turn oven to 325�F. In cup, combine sugar and cornstarch until
blended. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream
cheese and ricotta cheese until smooth, about 5 minutes; slowly beat
in sugar mixture. At low speed, beat in eggs, half-and-half, lemon
juice, vanilla, and remaining 3 tsp lemon peel just until blended,
scraping bowl often with a rubber spatula. Pour cream-cheese mixture
onto crust.
Bake cheesecake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake
remain in oven 1 hour longer. Remove cheesecake from oven and cool
completely in pan on wire rack.
Cover and refrigerate cheesecake at least 6 hours or overnight until
well chilled. Remove side of pan to serve.
|