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Our neighbor used to make cheesecake for us every holiday season when I was growing up. It was smooth all the way through, like silk, topped with glazed cherries.
Through the years I've been trying to find a recipe that came close to that delicious cheesecake, since Mrs. Price died long before I got a chance to ask her for it. It was only this year that I came across a recipe (that I've tweaked a bit) that comes pretty darn close to the real Mrs. Price cheesecake. So close that I've named it in her honor. I think the secret lies in the lemon and orange zest...and the way it is baked.
Serves 12
- 5 eight-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temp.
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
- 2 egg yokes
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 9-inch springform pan
- 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- topping of your choice
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Grease springform pan with cooking spray. In a separate bowl mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Place mixture on bottom of springform pan and pat with your fingers until flattened.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, flour, orange and lemon zests, the 2 yolks and vanilla until smooth with an electric mixer. Add the 5 eggs, one at a time, mixing each time. Add cream and mix until completely smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan and bake at 500 degrees for 15 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.
Reduce the oven temperature to 225 and bake for one hour longer. After an hour, turn oven off and open the oven door slightly. Do not remove the cheesecake but allow it to cool while the oven is cooling. When the oven is completely cool, remove and let it cool on a rack until it reaches room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, remove the side of the pan but leave the bottom and place on a serving dish. Top with glazed cherries, blueberries, or sour cream/sugar mixture.
About the author: Marcia Passos Duffy is a freelance writer & the publisher of The Heart of New England online magazine. Subscribe today to her free newsletter by sending a blank e-mail heartofnewengland-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or by visiting http://www.TheHeartofNewEngland.com
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