Lemon Shortbread Cheesecake

Lemon Shortbread Cheesecake

MAKES One 8-in. cheesecake; 12 to 16 servings
TIME 1 1/2 hours, plus at least 4 hours cooling and chilling time


Ingredients:

7 oz. shortbread cookies
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. finely grated fresh lemon zest (from about 3 lemons), divided
1 cup sugar, divided
12 oz. fresh, mild goat cheese (such as Haystack Boulder Chèvre)
10 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
1 tsp. finely grated fresh orange zest
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
8 to 10 medium strawberries, stemmed


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Crumble cookies into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. In a medium bowl, toss 2 tbsp. lemon zest with 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar. Add cookie crumbs and mix well. Butter sides of an 8-in. pan with removable rim and press cookie mixture into bottom; bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan.

2. Lower temperature to 275°. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat goat cheese and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add remaining lemon zest, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, the orange zest, 3/4 cup sugar, the sour cream, and the vanilla; beat well. Scrape bowl and add eggs; beat well.

3. Pour batter onto crust and bake about 1 hour, or until set on the sides but still quite jiggly in the center and only slightly sticky. Turn oven off, crack oven door, and let cake cool in oven 2 hours. Remove and let cool completely; then chill, covered, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

4. Run a thin knife between cake and rim of pan and remove rim. Thinly slice strawberries, then toss with remaining 2 1/2 tbsp. sugar and lemon juice. Arrange on cake.


PER SERVING 293 cal., 55% (162 cal.) from fat; 8 g protein; 18 g fat (10 g sat.); 25 g carbo (0.4 g fiber); 229 mg sodium; 70 mg chol.


Serve with Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Napa Valley)