Lemon Cheesecake (Baking Illustrated)

Lemon Cheesecake

Sacrificial animal crackers.
Cream cheese.
Lemon curd.

Just one question...

Why did it take me so long to make this?

I made Baking Illustrated Lemon Cheesecake (also found online here) this weekend. My first real cheesecake made in a water bath! Whoo hoo!

The crust is made with animal crackers. Apparently the graham cracker crust is so yesterday. And since I have an affinity to grind up cookie species for my crust (see my crust made of cute little bears here), I was all for this. (Except for the fact that animal crackers are expensive now - $1.50 per box at my janky Ralphs.)

Answer me this riddle...when did the fuzzy marsupial koala bear get into the Barnum's Animal Cracker box?! What the heck? I get the tigers, bears, elephants and perhaps a polar bear (oh my), but a koala?! Is this the new cirque de outback circus? Not to diss the adorable koala, but what exactly does it do in the circus? Trapeze? Leap through a ring o' fire? Sarah Palin-like playing flute? I thought koalas only sleep, eat and look cute. Anyway, if you've seen a koala at your circus, let me know. And it didn't really matter anyway, because I ground him and his friend up into little crumbs!

Mostly endangered species were ground up fine, sugar added and then a stream of melted butter goodness added. After pressed into a 9" springform and baked off, a nice fine crazy butter film on the bottom of the pan will appear. Yes, a successful cheesecake begins with a butter delivery device crust.

Some lemon zest is pulsed with sugar and then three blocks of cream cheese, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, and cream are mixed together. Note: No flour or cornstarch is added. The cake was baked in a water bath for about an hour, then sit in the oven with the door ajar for another hour. Then, it cools outside for another 2 hours. (Cheesecake isn't hard, it's just time consuming!)

I also made a lemon curd for the topping. I think I'm going to marry lemon curd. I just love you so.

The cake needs to chill out overnight for best results and is best served very cold. It is way, way rich so thin slices are helpful. I think the lemon curd cuts a bit of the overall richness and wouldn't make cheesecake without it!