LEMON RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 Tablespoon. butter or margarine, softened
3-4 lemons
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 packages (8 oz. each) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
1 container (15 oz.) part-skim ricotta cheese
4 large eggs
2 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F. Wrap outside of 9-inch spring-form pan with heavy-duty foil to prevent batter from leaking out during baking.

In spring-form pan, with fork, mix graham cracker crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened. With hand, press mixture firmly onto bottom of pan.
Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack, about 15 minutes.

Reset oven to 325F. Meanwhile, from 2 lemons, grate 2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 1/3 cup juice. In small bowl, stir together sugar and cornstarch
until blended. In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and ricotta until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly beat in sugar mixture.
Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and lemon peel and juice just until blended, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula.

Pour batter onto crust. Place custard cup half filled with water in oven with cheesecake. Bake cheesecake 1 hour. Turn off oven; let cheesecake
remain in oven 1 hour.

Remove cheesecake from oven. To help prevent cracking during cooling, run a thin knife between edge of cheesecake and pan as soon as cheesecake comes
out of oven. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate cheesecake at least 6 hours or overnight, until well chilled.

To serve, remove foil and side of pan and place cake on plate. From remaining lemons, with sharp knife, cut 8 very thin center slices; use to garnish
top of cheesecake.

Prep time 40 minutes
Total time 1 hour 30 minutes plus cooling and chilling
Makes 16 servings

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