Lemon Cheesecake

Lemon Cheesecake

Dorcas Annette Walker

One dessert I always looked forward to eating at my grandmother’s house was her Lemon Cheesecake that was actually a pie instead of the cheesecakes like we see today. Years later I came across a recipe for Lemon Cheesecake that I modified to match my grandmother’s recipe. This scrumptious dessert uses lots of cream cheese and eggs.

My husband had a bit of a setback with his hatched chicks when he moved the first batch from the brooder to the rabbit room thinking to let them grow older before putting them in with the bigger hens. Unfortunately, a large rat or weasel tunneled a hole in the dirt floor and killed three of the half-grown chicks. So Dana decided to put the other three chicks in with the hens. Ole Zebulon, our rooster, went and pecked one to death the very first day leaving two scrawny scared chicks. Thankfully Lemon Pudding and Cheesecake have survived and are growing into nice fat hens. So for the next batch of seven chicks my husband built a wire pen inside the henhouse to ensure their safety. Lo and behold, right before he moved them, didn’t one hyper chick jump out of the brooder when my husband opened the lid and flew straight into the open mouth of Sandy, our chocolate lab, who instantly decided on a chicken dinner. We banned Sandy from the workshop while I helped my husband transfer the rest of the chicks to safety. I am glad to report that the three yellow chicks: Mustard, Custard, and Fluster along with the three darker ones: Blackberry, Raspberry, and Blueberry are still alive and growing.

Cream cheese is the soft unripened cheese curds produced from cow’s milk. Historians believe that cheesecake originated from ancient Greece and cheese molds can be traced back as far as 2,000 B.C. The Romans spread cheesecakes from Greece to Europe where century’s later cheesecake recipes were brought to America by immigrants. In 1872, William Lawrence accidentally developed a method of producing cream cheese while trying to reproduce a French cheese. He started marketing his Philadelphia Cream Cheese in 1880. The Kraft Cheese Company bought the company in 1928 and still owns and produces Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Today instead of hanging a bag of scalded curds outside on a limb to drain we can go to the store and purchase whatever style of cheese we desire.

My Lemon Cheesecake has a smooth creamy taste with a faint bit of lemon flavor set on a soft graham cracker crust. This stylish dessert is a perfect ending to any meal and is simple to make. The Lemon Cheesecake takes about fifteen minute to prepare (not counting baking time) and this recipe serves fourteen.

Lemon Cheesecake

Mix together and press in the bottom of a 10½ inch springboard pan:
1 pkg graham crackers (crushed)
¼ c sugar
1 stick of margarine (melted)
Bake at 350º for ten minutes and cool.

In a large mixing bowl beat together until smooth and creamy:
4 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
2 tb self-rising flour
1 container (16 oz) sour cream
4 eggs
2 pkg (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding
2 tb milk
Pour on top of the graham cracker crust and continue baking at 350º for one hour and fifteen minutes. Chill in the refrigerator overnight. Can garnish with cool whip, chocolate curls, or sliced fresh fruit!

Weekly tip: To slice equal pieces of a large round cheesecake (or cake) first cut a circle halfway around the middle with a sharp knife and cut into four pieces. Finish by cutting two-inch pieces around the outside of the cheesecake and then serve. Store any leftover cheesecake in an enclosed container!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, syndicated columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcaswalker@twlakes.net For more recipes check out her Creative Mountain Cookin page at: www.dorcasannettewalker.com