Lemon Cheesecake

1. Stage

Prepare the oven and baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a baking sheet, place a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around the outside of the springform pan. Set it aside.

2. Stage

Make the crust: To make the crust, place the cookies into the bowl of a food processor and process until you get fine, even crumbs. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter, sugar, and salt until you get the consistency of wet sand, and the mixture clumps together when squeezed in the palm of your hand. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan in an even layer. You can either keep the crust layer only on the bottom, or on the bottom and pressed up against the sides. It is totally up to you! Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

3. Stage

Reduce the heat and create a steam bath: Turn the oven down to 325°F. Place a 9x13-inch baking dish on the lower rack of the oven and fill with boiling water; this will create a steamy environment for the cheesecake to bake.

4. Stage

Make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a mixing bowl and hand mixer), beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times so there are no lumps of firm cream cheese. Beat in the sugar, lemon zest, and salt, then scrape down the sides. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each egg is combined and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. Resist the urge to whip the mixture too much; just beat in each egg until mixed well—over-beating can pull too much air into the batter, resulting in a cracked cheesecake.

5. Stage

Add the sour cream and spread the filling over the crust: On low speed, beat in the sour cream until just combined and scrape down the sides. Spread the cheesecake filling into the pre-baked crust.

6. Stage

Bake the cheesecake: Put the cheesecake onto the foil-lined baking sheet. Press the foil up and around the outside of the springform pan. Place the baking sheet with the cheesecake on it on the center rack of the oven, above the pan of hot water. Bake until the cheesecake appears set and dry on top but still jiggles in the center like Jello, about 1 hour.

7. Stage

Allow the cheesecake to cool slowly: Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool for 60 minutes with the oven door closed. Crack open the oven door (place a wooden spoon between the door and the frame of the oven to keep it just cracked) and allow the cheesecake to cool for an additional 45 minutes before removing from the oven to cool on a baking rack, until it reaches room temperature. The cheesecake may have domed slightly while baking but should deflate to a flat top with a small ridge around the edge, as it slowly cools. Remove the foil once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature (anytime after the cheesecake has pulled away from the edges of the pan and it's cool enough to handle).

8. Stage

Transfer to the refrigerator: Once the cheesecake is at room temperature, transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours before serving.

9. Stage

Top with lemon curd and serve: To create the petal pattern as shown in the photos, pipe or dollop small blobs of curd in a ring around the perimeter of the cheesecake, leaving about 1/2-inch border. Using an offset spatula or the back of a teaspoon, gently smash and drag the blobs toward the center of the cheesecake. If you have leftover lemon curd, serve the rest when you slice the cheesecake.