Family Cheesecake

Crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• ½ cup butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Mix all crust ingredients to form a dough. Press into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool slightly.

Cheesecake Filling:

• 5 (8 oz) bars cream cheese (Philadelphia preferred), softened
• 1¾ cups sugar
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• 5 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions: Increase oven to 500°F (260°C). Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and lemon rind. Mix well. Add eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing just until blended. Stir in heavy cream. Pour filling over baked crust.

Bake at 500°F for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 200°F (95°C) and continue baking until the center is firm — approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Let cool at room temperature, then chill overnight in the fridge before serving.