Ultimate Cheesecake

I got this years ago from the McCall's Cooking School cookbook, and never fail to get raves about it. It is a little more involved than most cheesecakes, but worth it! You can change the flavor by taking out the peels and adding chocolate chips, or any of many other variations, but the crust is what makes it so special. A lovely shortbread, thin and crisp. I use a recipe and a half so that I have plenty. What you don't need for the cheesecake crust, just roll out and bake on a cookie sheet for wonderful cookies. I also bake the cheesecake in a water bath for a lighter top, but you don't have to use that. It is wonderful plain, but you can also top it with cherry, blueberry or pineapple glaze. For special occasions, I will use cherries jubilee or pomegranite. Beautiful!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• CRUST

• 1  cup  sifted all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon  grated lemon peel
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  egg yolk
• 4  tablespoons butter, softened

• FILLING

• 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 3⁄4 cups sugar
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 2  teaspoons  grated lemon peel
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5  eggs, plus
• 2  egg yolks
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400'F.
2. Grease the inside of a 9 inch springform pan (3 inches high). Remove side.
3. CRUST: In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, lemon peel and vanilla. Make a well in the center. With a fork, blend in yolk and butter. Mix well, rubbing between fingertips, until smooth.
4. On the bottom of the pan, form half of the dough into a ball. Place parchment or waxed paper on top, and roll pastry to edge of pan. Remove paper. Bake 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Meanwhile, divide the rest of the dough into 3 balls. Cut six strips of waxed paper, 3 inches wide.
5. On dampened surface, between paper strips, roll each part 2 1/4 inches wide and 9 inches long. Assemble springform pan with crust on the bottom. Line inside of pan with pastry strips, overlapping ends. Remove waxed paper strips and smooth inside crust with fingers. Preheat oven to 450'.
6. Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with one sheet of wide heavy duty aluminum foil, making sure no seams are around the bottom. Boil 4 quarts of water. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan.
7. FILLING:
8. In large mixer bowl, blend cheese, sugar, flour, peels and vanilla at high speed. Beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat until smooth, occasionally scraping down the bowl with a spatula. Beat in cream. Pour into pan, smooth the top with a spatula. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan on the middle rack of the oven and pull out so that you can reach it easily,. Push springform pan to one side and carefully pour the boiling water in the roasting pan until it comes to within 1" of the top. Carefully push it into the oven. Bake 10 minutes, reduce oven heat to 250'. Bake 1 1/2 hours longer, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Turn off oven, open door and allow to cool until water bath is tepid, about 1/2 hour. Remove cheesecake to a cooling rack and cool for 1 1/2 hours longer.