Old-World Ricotta Cheesecake

  Desserts

I reconstructed this dessert based on an old recipe that had been in the family for years but was never written down. The subtle cinnamon flavor of the zwieback crust reminds me of the cheesecake I enjoyed as a child, but substitute other crumbs if you like.

Old-World Ricotta Cheesecake

Average Rating: 5

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 1 hour + chilling
YIELD: 12 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1-2/3 cups zwieback, rusk or plain biscotti crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened

  • FILLING:
  • 2 cartons (15 ounces each) ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

  • TOPPING:
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • 1. Combine zwieback crumbs, sugar and cinnamon; mix in butter until mixture is crumbled. Press onto bottom and 1-1/2 in. up sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate until chilled.
  • 2. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat all filling ingredients except eggs until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low until combined. Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.
  • 3. Bake until center is set, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes, leaving oven on. Combine topping ingredients; spoon around edge of cheesecake. Carefully spread over filling. Bake 10 minutes longer. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove rim from pan. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 260 calories, 14g fat (9g saturated fat), 83mg cholesterol, 191mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (16g sugars, 0 fiber), 7g protein.

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