Lemon Curd Marbled Cheesecake
Gourmet July 2006, Maggie Ruggiero

"Expect a line to form when you unveil this stunning dessert. It's
swirled  throughout with tangy lemon curd, which amplifies the
richness of the  surrounding cheesecake."

Makes 10 servings

For lemon curd
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For crust
1 1/3 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (5 oz)
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Special equipment: a 9- to 91/2-inch (24-cm) springform pan
Accompaniment: blueberries

Make lemon curd: Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in a 2-
quart heavy  saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat,
whisking frequently, until the curd is thick enough to hold marks of
whisk and first bubbles appear on  surface, about 6 minutes.
Force lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide shallow dish, scraping bottom of sieve, then cover surface with wax paper. Cool
completely, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Make and bake crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat
oven to 350 degrees F.
Invert bottom of springform pan (to make it easier to slide cake off
bottom), then lock on side. Stir together crust ingredients in a bowl,
then press onto  bottom and 1 inch up side of springform pan. Place
springform pan in shallow baking pan and bake 10 minutes, then cool
crust completely in springform pan on a rack.

Make filling and bake cheesecake: Reduce oven temperature to 300
degrees F.
Beat together cream cheese and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer
at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and
add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in sour cream and
vanilla until combined.
Pour two thirds of cream cheese filling into crust, then spoon half of
lemon curd over filling and swirl curd into filling with a small knife.
(Avoid touching crust with knife to prevent crumbs getting into filling.)
Repeat with  remaining filling and curd.
Bake cheesecake until set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center trembles
when pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes. (Center of cake will ap-
pear very loose but will continue to set as it cools.) Transfer springform
pan to a rack and immediately run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen. Cool completely, about 2 hours, then chill, uncovered, at least
4 hours. Remove side of springform pan before serving.

Cooks' Notes:
• Lemon curd can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.
• Crust (without filling) can be made 1 day ahead and kept,
covered, at room  temperature.
• Cheesecake can be chilled, loosely covered, up to 2 days.
Cheesecake must be  completely chilled before covering
to prevent condensation on its surface.
 

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