There’s a first for everything – in this case, baking cheesecake from scratch. Traditionally, I’m not one for a slice of cheesecake… something about the dense texture and one dimensional flavor of the cream cheese is just ew to me. My eyes were opened some years ago after having tried Carnegie Deli’s version.
My rendition swaps graham crackers for a vanilla lemon sugar cookie crust. The fresh vanilla bean and additional lemon in the batter, coupled with light sour cream whipped cream (which isn’t too sweet) and tangy fresh strawberries helps round it all out into a creamy balance of flavors. If there was one gift Husby said he’d take every Valentine’s Day, this one reigns supreme. Don’t be intimidated by the directions (it’s a lot of words) but keep going and you’ll find success!
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Recipe (PDF version)
