Lemon Bar Cheesecake for Bebe

Today is my Mom's 85th birthday!  I wanted to make her cake and when I asked what kind she wanted she told me that she liked lemon cake and then told me she saw a recipe for a lemon cheesecake that she thought looked good.  Being the good daughter that I am, I made her the cheesecake that she saw in Southern Living.  It is called Lemon Bar Cheesecake.

The recipe sparked my interest because it had a pie crust instead of a graham cracker crust.  It had lemon curd swirled throughout the cheesecake with a layer of lemon curd on top.   The crust was easy to make but a real bear to get into the springform pan...I hung with it and pieced and patched and did the best I could.  They claimed that you did not need to blind bake the crust if you did it in a dark pan.  So I didn't, because I had a dark springform pan....and like magic, it turned out just great.

 Then you can top it off with candied lemon slices.  Which I did.  You just simmered lemon slices in sugar and lemon juice.  Then let it cool.

Everyone really enjoyed it...especially my Mom

Happy 85th Birthday, Bebe!  

Love you to the moon and back!

Lemon Bar Cheesecake

Using a dark springform pan ensures a golden brown crust 

without having to bake before adding the filling.

Southern Living FEBRUARY 2013

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

Hands-on:40 Minutes

Total:22 Hours, 45 Minutes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

2 egg yolks

1 to 2 Tbsp. ice-cold water

4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups Quick and Easy Lemon Curd, divided

Candied Lemon Slices (optional)

Preparation

Pulse first 3 ingredients in a food processor 3 or 4 times or just until blended. Add butter, and pulse 5 or 6 times or until crumbly. Whisk together egg yolks and 1 Tbsp. ice-cold water in a small bowl; add to butter mixture, and process until dough forms a ball and pulls away from sides of bowl, adding up to 1 Tbsp. remaining ice-cold water, 1 tsp. at a time, if necessary. Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 4 to 24 hours.

2. Roll dough into a 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a lightly greased 9-inch dark springform pan, gently pressing on bottom and up sides of pan; trim and discard excess dough. Chill 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325°. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 minutes or until smooth. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

4. Pour two-thirds of cheesecake batter (about 4 cups) into prepared crust; dollop 1 cup lemon curd over batter in pan, and gently swirl with a knife. Spoon remaining batter into pan.

5. Bake at 325° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or just until center is set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.

6. Remove sides of pan, and transfer cheesecake to a serving platter. Spoon remaining 1 cup lemon curd over cheesecake, and, if desired, top with Candied Lemon Slices.