No-frills Cheesecake

-CHEESECAKE CRUST-
3 tb Butter; unsalted, softened
3 tb Sugar
1 Egg yolks
1 c Flour
1/4 ts Baking powder
1/8 ts Salt

FILLING
32 oz Cream cheese
1 c Sugar
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 ts Juice, lemon
4 Eggs
1 9″ springform pan
1 Jelly-roll pan; or roasting
Pan

CHEESECAKE CRUST: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and
fluffy. Beat in the yolk until smooth. Combine the flour, baking
powder and salt and gently fold into the butter mixture with a rubber
spatula. Mixture will be crumbly.

Variations:

With Almonds: Add 1/2 cup finely chopped sliced or slivered almonds
to the dry ingredients of Cheesecake Crust.

With Pecans: Add 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans to dry ingredients of
Cheesecake Crust.

Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Butter only the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and line it with a
round of parchment. Place the dough in the pan and pat it down evenly
and firmly to cover the bottom. Bake for about 25 minutes, until
dough is golden and baked through. Lower the oven temperature to 325
degrees.

All of the following should be done on your mixer’s lowest speed. To
make the filling, beat cream cheese smooth, no more than 30 seconds.
Stop mixer and scrape bowl and beater. Add sugar in a stream, mixing
for no more than
30 seconds. Stop and scrape.

Add vanilla, lemon juice and 1 egg; mix only until absorbed, no more
than 30 seconds. Stop and scrape. Add remaining eggs, one at a time,
mixing only until each is absorbed. Stop and scrape after each
addition.

Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the spring form pan so it
comes at least one inch up the sides. Pour the filling into the pan
over the crust. Place the pan in a jelly roll or roasting pan and
pour warm water into pan to a depth of 1/2-inch. Bake the cheesecake
for about 60 minutes, or until lightly colored and firm except for
the very center. Remove from pan of hot water. Remove foil and cool
completely on a rack. Wrap cheesecake and chill overnight before
unmolding.

Nutritional information per serving: xx calories, xx gm protein, xxx
mg cholesterol, xx gm carbohydrate, xxx mg sodium, x gm fiber, xx gm
fat (x gm sat, x gm mono, x gm poly), x mg iron, xx mg calcium, xx%
of calories from fat.