CHEESECAKE

My sister Karen is up from Florida this weekend, plus there is another birthday to celebrate, so tomorrow night I am having the family over for a dinner of grilled pork chops, roasted on the grill baby potatoes, corn on the cob, buns and fruit (his favorite meal) and then for dessert cheesecake, also his favorite, with different toppings.  This cheesecake is the best!  Its definitely time consuming and 2 out of the 3 times I've made it it has cracked on me..boo hoo..but it still tastes awesome either way.  I got the recipe about 20 years ago, but seldom make it because you need a large group to eat it because it's a big cheesecake and we just can't eat big slices of it for days.  I generally, which I am doing tomorrow, just put the cheesecake on a pedestal platter and then people cut the size they want and I have toppings to add what they want.  Tomorrow I am having sliced fresh strawberries, cherry pie filling and caramel, fudge topping and pecans if they want a turtle one also. I am thinking I might get some blueberry topping too, but haven't decided for sure if that is overload.. 

The best cheesecake:

10" spring form pan.

CRUST:
Mix together well with a mixer on low

1-1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup butter, soft
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 of a grated lemon rind (zest)

form into a ball and refrigerate 1 hour in a baggie.

While dough is cooling heat oven to 400 degrees.

When time is up, take about 1/3 of the dough and press it into the bottom of the pan..this will be thin, but needs to cover the whole bottom.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove and cool completely on a wire rack. 

Turn oven up to 475 degrees.

FILLING:
5 (8 oz) packages of regular cream cheese (room temperature)
1-1/4 cup of sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

5 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 2 lemons

In a large bowl at medium speed beat 5  packages of room temperature cream cheese until smooth, slowly add 1-1/4 cups sugar.  Turn mixer to low and beat in 3 Tbsp flour.  add remaining ingredients scraping bowl occasionally.  Then beat for 5 minutes.  set aside

ASSEMBLY:
Press remaining dough about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the springform pan.  Pour the filling into the pan.  Bake 12 minutes. Turn oven down to 300 degrees and bake for 35 minutes longer.  TURN OFF OVEN and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 30 in minutes.  Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.  Then refrigerate overnight.  The next day use a thin metal spatula to run around the outside of the cheesecake.  Release the springform pan and use the spatula to loosen the bottom and remove the plate to slide onto  your serving platter.  Either add you toppings when ready to serve or do as I am doing when serving.