BASIC CHEESECAKE A LA LEMONEILLO (Italian lemon liqueur)

Yield: 1 each 9-inch cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb Cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 oz Granulated sugar
• 2 oz heavy cream or Half and Half
• 5 each Eggs, large
• 2 tsp Vanilla, pure extract
• 3 oz Lemon liqueur or 1 oz lemon oil flavoring
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 TBS Flour

METHOD:

1. Cream the cream cheese until smooth with paddle on electric mixer.
2. Add granulated sugar and blend well but do not over whip or the air will cause cracking.
3. Add eggs, cream, flavorings, and salt and blend well.
4. Add sifted flour and fold into batter by hand with rubber spatula or balloon whisk.
5. Pour into cake pan that has been greased with cold butter and sprinkled with granulated sugar.
6. Bake at low temperature of 300 degrees until the center is set. Cool in oven with door ajar and this will help prevent excessive cracking.
7. Cheesecake is best served the next day after cooled in refrigerator and allowed to “ripen”.

NOTES:

• A spring form pan will leak water into your batter unless it is very watertight (most are not).
• Any type of crust can be used to include: crushed Golden Graham cereal mixed with a little melted butter and baked until brown, cool and fill. Try stale cookies the same way or use the old standard of a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.
• Many professional kitchens use 2 inch or 3 inch deep heavy duty cake pans and release the cake the next day by placing a warm cloth on the bottom and then inverting onto your serving plate or board.
• Cheesecakes freeze well by wrapping in plastic wrap and then defrosting under refrigeration when ready to use.