New York Style Lemon Cheesecake

By cecelia26_

I have a fabulous cheesecake recipe that I decided to put a little twist on with fresh squeezed lemon juice and grated lemon rind. I also topped it with homemade whipped cream, which not only looks pretty but helps balance out the sweetness of the cheesecake. It was fabulous and the perfect ending to a great meal!

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups lemon sandwich cookie crumbs (or graham cracker crumbs)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (4 large lemons)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. (Wrap pan in foil if doing water bath. I did not do a water bath but did place the pan on a large cookie sheet to catch butter that would leak out.)

Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press evenly into bottom of pan and up the sides an inch or so.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium to high speed until smooth. Blend in milk and then mix in the eggs all at once, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Beat in lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour filling into crust.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the center appears firm. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Chill for at least 4 to 24 hours before serving. Top with homemade whipped cream just before serving.