Description
A citrus cheesecake with a shortbread crust. It takes a long time of preparation but it is well worth the wait. If you can’t find a vanilla bean, substitute 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract for each 1 inch piece of bean. You can top with any of your favorite fruits or toppings, or eat it plain. Summertime fresh fruits are nice, or chocolate lovers can spread on a layer of fudge topping.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- ½ vanilla bean
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 ¾ cups white sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated orange zest
- ½ vanilla bean
- 5 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large bowl
- combine 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon peel
- and 1 teaspoon orange peel. Split a 1-inch piece of vanilla bean; scrape seeds into flour mixture. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add 1 egg yolk; stir until all flour is moistened. Gather dough into ball
- wrap in wax paper
- and refrigerate for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Lightly butter a 9 inch springform pan. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick; trim to a 10 inch circle. Reserve pastry trimmings. Press pastry circle into bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 9 inch buttered springform pan. Refrigerate 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake crust for 20 minutes
- until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
- Beat cream cheese
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel and 1 1/2 teaspoons orange peel in large mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy
- about 10 minutes. Split a 1 inch piece of vanilla bean and scrape seeds into cream cheese mixture. Beat in 5 eggs and 2 egg yolks
- 1 at a time
- on medium speed. Stir in cream.
- Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Roll out reserved pastry trimmings on lightly floured board; cut into strips 2 inches wide. Pat strips up side of pan
- pressing dough lightly to baked crust. Pour filling into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR! Bake until cheesecake is firm in center
- about 50 minutes. Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven with door slightly open for 1 hour. Remove from oven
- and cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 16