LEMON SWIRL CHEESECAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• For Crust:.
• Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Finely grind graham crackers( if using these instead of the crumbs) in food processor. Add nuts and process until coarsely chopped.
• Add butter and lemon peel; blend just until crumbs are moist.
• Press crumbs firmly onto bottom ONLY of a 9 inch diameter springform pan.
• Bake until crust is set, about 10 minutes.
• Cool crust and maintain oven temperature.
• For filling:.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, lemonade concentrate and lemon peel in large bowl until smooth. Beat in 3/4 cup sour cream.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined.
• Pour filling into crust and bake until the center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 50 minutes.
• Transfer cake to rack and cool 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile for topping: Whisk 1 cup sour cream in small bowl until smooth. Whisk lemon curd in small bowl until smooth.
• Run a sharp knife around sides of cake.
• Starting at outside edge of cake, spoon small alternating dollops of sour cream and lemon curd side by side in concentric circles atop warm cake, covering cake completely.
• Gently shake pan to smooth out toppings.
• Using tip of knife, gently swirl toppings, forming a marbled design.
• Chill cake uncovered overnight.
• Beat whipping cream with 2 T. confectioner's sugar( I like to add about 1/2 t. unflavored gelatin to the whipping cream to keep it from separating)until stiff peaks form.
• Pipe cream in a decorative pattern around the edge of cake( I just use a spoon to arrange dollops of whipped cream around the edge) and garnish with lemon wedges and mint leaves.
• *NOTE: The last time I made this I omited the sour cream topping and just smoothed the lemon curd over the entire cake top, using about 2 cups of lemon curd. Then I decorated the edge of the cake with the whipped cream and lemon slices/mint leaves.).

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir in butter. Press evenly in bottom of 8x2-inch springform pan. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, in 1 1/2-quart saucepan, mix 1 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in water, lemon juice and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Reserve 1/2 cup lemon mixture. Stir cream cheese and lemon peel into remaining 1 1/2 cups lemon mixture until smooth. Press plastic wrap on surfaces of each mixture (this helps prevent a "skin" forming on top). Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until cool.
• In chilled small bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture; pour over baked layer. Drop reserved lemon mixture by tablespoonfuls onto cheesecake. Cut through dollops of lemon mixture, using knife, to form swirls.
• Refrigerate at least 24 hours or until set. Run metal spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen; remove side of pan. Refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.