Meyer Lemon Cheesecake

I love lemon.

The color.  The sour flavor.  Lemonade.  Limoncello.  Lemon balm.  Lemon grass.  Liz Lemon from 30 Rock.

Everything lemon.

So this cheesecake, being that I also love anything cheesecakey, is absolutely perfect for me.  The slightly yellow cheesecake with flecks of bright yellow zest, topped with a sweet and sour curd and a crunchy graham cracker crust...  I mean... what words can I use?

Delicious.

Delicioso.

I only know english and spanish.  So every other way to say "delicious" in other languages.

It's sweet with a definitive tang and a slight sour punch.  It's creamy with a crunchy crust.  It's literally every adjective your taste buds are looking for in a dessert.

So why haven't you made this yet?




Meyer Lemon Cheesecake


Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp Meyer lemon zest

Filling:
3 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon extract
2 tbsp Meyer lemon zest

Topping: 
2/3 cup Meyer Lemon Curd



Preheat oven 350F.

For the crust, combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Press down into the bottom of a greased springform pan wrapped in a double layer of aluminum foil.  Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

For the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar and lemon extract and lemon zest together on medium until the cream cheese is smooth.  Add eggs and beat for an additional minute on low.  Pour into the crust.  Bake in a water bath for 45-50 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight.

For the topping, spread lemon curd over the top of the cheesecake before serving.