lemon cloud cheesecake

* a domestic goddess original - based on ideas from a few different tart and cheesecake recipes

ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons or 5 ounces arrowroot cookies
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
Juice of 5 lemons
1 and a half tablespoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
3/4 stick or 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese (1 package), at room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese (1 package), at room temperature

directions:
1. To make the crust, pulse the cookies until they are crumbs, add the butter and pulse again. Line the bottom of a spring-form pan, pressing the crust in with your hands or the back of a spoon. Put the pan in the fridge to set, and preheat the oven to 350†F.

2. To make the filling, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone until smooth, and set aside. In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar on high speed until light and lemon colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in the lemon juice, vanilla, cream and melted butter until fully incorporated and thickened. Add the softened cheeses to this mixture and combine. Put the kettle on to boil.

3. Line the outside of the chilled pan (with the crust in it) with foil so that it covers the bottom and sides in one large piece, and then do the same again and put it into a roasting dish. This will protect the cheesecake from the water as it is cooked in its water bath.

4. Pour the cream-cheese filling into the chilled base, and then pour hot water from the recently boiled kettle into the roasting pan around the cheesecake. It should come about halfway up; don't overfill as it will be difficult to lift up the pan and it could leak around the foil. Put it into the oven and cook for about a 60 - 75 minutes. It should feel set, but not rigidly so.

5. Take the roasting pan out of the oven, and allow the cheesecake to cool for about 15 minutes before removing the spring-form. Remove the spring-form, cool completely, then refrigerate until about 20 minutes prior to serving. When cutting, warm a knife under hot water, dry and then cut.

notes: