Candied Lemon Cheesecake

• Vegetarian

• Produce

  • 6 Lemons
  • 2 Lemons, small

• Refrigerated

  • 2 Egg yolks
  • 4 Eggs
  • 4 Eggs, large

• Condiments

  • 2 cups Lemon curd
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice, fresh

• Baking & Spices

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup Powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 3 cups Sugar
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract

• Dairy

  • 1 cup Butter
  • 4 (8 ounce packages Philadelphia brand cream cheese

• Liquids

  • 13 tbsp Water

Found on throughherlookingglass.com

Description

Ingredients

• 6 lemons (for 1 cup of fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of lemon zest)
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 - 2 tablespoons ice cold water
• 4 (8 ounce) packages Philadelphia brand cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups lemon curd, divided
• 2 small lemons
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup water

Directions

• Grate enough zest from lemons to get 2 tablespoons.
• Squeeze lemons til you get the 1 cup you need.
• Separately in a microwave proof bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer til blended.
• Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, blending just until incorporated.
• Slowly add lemon juice, beating at low speed until blended.
• Stir in lemon zest.
• (At this point, it looks curdled.)
• Microwave at high for 5 minutes, stirring once every minute.
• Then microwave a little longer, stirring at 30 second intervals, just for 1-2 more minutes.
• Lemon curd will thicken, and coat the back of a spoon, and start to mound slightly.
• Cover warm curd with plastic wrap directly on it (to prevent a film from forming) and chill a minimum of four hours or til firm.
• Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• Slice 2 lemons into 1/8 thick rounds, removing seeds.
• Stir together sugar, lemon juice and water in large skillet.
• Heat over medium heat til sugar dissolves completely.
• Carefully a lemon slices, and simmer gently for 14-16 minutes.
• Keep lemon slices in a single layer, turning every so often.
• When lemons are translucent and rinds are soft, remove from the heat.
• Using tongs, place candied lemon slices in a single layer on wax-paper or parchment lined baking sheet.
• Cool completely for about an hour.
• Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours and as long as two days.
• Reserve syrup for another use.
• Pulse first three ingredient in food processor until blended.
• Add butter and pulse until just crumbly.
• Separately, whisk together egg yolks and 1 tablespoon ice water in a small bowl.
• Add to flour butter mixture and process til dough forms a ball.
• Add up to 1 tablespoon more water, 1 teaspoon at a time if necessary to hold it together.
• Shape dough ball into a flat disk and wrap tightly in plastic.
• Chill for a minimum of four hours before rolling out.
• Roll dough into a 14 circle on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin.
• Fit dough into a lightly greased 9 dark springform pan.
• Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
• With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim away excess dough around the top edge.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In medium mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
• Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until just blended.
• Add eggs, one at a time and beat until just mixed in.
• Beat in vanilla.
• Pour 2/3 of cheesecake batter (about 4 cups) into prepared crust.
• Spoon 1 cup lemon curd over the cheesecake batter.
• Gently swirl with a butter knife.
• Spoon remaining cheesecake batter on top.
• Bake at 325 degrees for an hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or just until center is set.
• (Cheesecake should just be turning golden.)
• Turn oven off.
• Let cheesecake stay in the oven, with the door closed, an additional 15 minutes.
• Remove cheesecake from oven.
• Carefully run a knife around the outer edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the sides of the pan.
• (But dont remove the sides of pan. Yet.)
• Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about one hour.
• Cover tightly and chill 8-24 hours.
• Remove the sides of the pan and transfer cheesecake to a cake platter.
• Spoon remaining 1 cup lemon curd over cheesecake.
• Optional: Garnish with Candied Lemon Slices