Lemon Cheese Cake

Prep: 30 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

Crust:

1/2 cup fine graham cracker crumbs or lemon wafer cookie crumbs ground in food processor
¼ cup optional ground toasted almonds (very nice)
¼ cup sugar
6 Tablesoons melted butter

Filling:

2 lbs cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons Cook's Choice Pure Vanilla Extract or Pure Vanilla Bean Puree
2 teaspoons Cook's Pure Lemon Extract or Cook's Organic Pure Lemon Extract
Grated rind from one lemon (the zest)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon flour

Directions

Crust:

Crunch up or grind crumbs in food processor or blender, or roll between waxed paper sheets.
Thoroughly butter bottom and sides of 9 inch spring form pan
Mix all ingredients together and press lightly against bottom and sides of pan

Filling:

Beat the cream cheese in a bowl ( Jo uses a Kitchen Aid mixer) until smooth; gradually add sugar and beat on medium speed until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down side of mixing bowl after each addition (this keeps the cream cheese from lumping)
Add the zest and Vanilla and Lemon Extract and beat until just incorporated.
Remove the bowl from mixer and stir in by hand the heavy cream, sour cream and flour.
Pour the batter into the pan.

Trick:

To keep the crust from cracking, put a roasting pan filled with boiling water on the lower oven rack and put the cheesecake in the middle rack. This keeps the oven and the cheesecake moist)