Lemon/rosemary cheesecake

When your culinary journey is still in the ‘new adventure’ phase (and may that never end!), nothing beats a challenge. When a neighbor invited me to an event that included dining (well, eating), I asked if I could bring something. The gauntlet was thrown when a cheesecake was suggested.

The menu was Thai, so something cloyingly sweet was out; something with a hint of savory was in. Early on in my cooking efforts, a niece asked if I had ever done a savory cheesecake, and some research (a/k/a Googling) turned up lemon/rosemary. That resonated, and is a favorite. It’s also surprisingly uncommon.

A traditional graham cracker crust seemed inappropriate, so while on the lookout for some shortbread cookies that would work, I ran across Oreo Thins with a lemon cream filling. BINGO!!! With those in the basket, it was time to get started, so let’s go.

LEMON/ROSEMARY CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS (all ingredients should be at room temperature)

For the crust you’ll need

1 pkg Oreo Thins Lemon Creme cookies
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
2 Tbsp of butter, melted (optional)

For the cheesecake you’ll need

4 – 8oz packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar,
three large eggs (eggs from chickens that are pastured tend to have, at least in my experience, larger yolks and add some richness to the batter),
1 tsp vanilla extract,
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, and
1/4 tsp salt.

DIRECTIONS

Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, preferably one that contains flour. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment, and spray the bottom again. Hold out 14-15 of the cookies for the ‘surround”; pulse the remainder in a blender or food processor (with the sugar, if using), drizzle in the butter, if desired, and spread the misture evenly across the bottom of the pan, pressing it down with your hand. (see TIPS)

Place a roasting pan or casserole dish on the bottom shelf of your oven, add an inch of boiling water, then preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
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Blend the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar on low to medium speed until blended, smooth, and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition. Add the vanilla, salt, and rosemary, and continue beating until blended and very smooth.

Line the sides of the pan with cookies turned on edge. Pour the batter into the pan and shake slightly to ensure even distribution. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hr and 20 mins, or until the center is almost set.

Turn the oven off and prop the door slightly open with a wooden spoon; allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Allow the cake to cool for a couple more hours, then cover and chill for 8 hrs. Remove the sides of the pan, put the cheesecake on your cake plate and it’s ready to go. If planning to use later, return it to the refrigerator. If refrigerated, remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to serve it.

TIPS

When making cheesecake, I like to line the bottom of the springform pan with a larger piece of parchment so that, as you can see, there’s an excess of parchment once the cake is baked and the pan removed. This makes it easier to slide the cake onto a platter or cardboard round, at which point you can trim the excess with a sharp knife point.

When whipping cream to top a cheesecake, I find that I get a better result using powdered sugar instead of granulated. Most powdered sugar that you buy has come cornstarch in it, and that helps to stabilize the whipped cream to keep it from drooping and sagging.