Passover Lemon Cheesecake

This kosher cheesecake is perfect for Passover. The cool lemon flavor tastes like Spring! You can make the cake up to 2 days in advance, and chill it, covered, until ready to serve it to your delighted family or guests.

Ingredients:

For Crust:

• 3/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup matzo cake meal
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted melted butter

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Make crust:

Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle.

Pulse almonds, sugar, matzo cake meal, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter. Press onto bottom and up side of springform pan about 1 inch. Bake until the crust is firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool crust completely on rack.

Make the filling and bake the cheesecake:

Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Beat together the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add eggs 1 at a time. Mix in zest and vanilla.

Put the springform pan in a shallow baking pan and pour the filling into the crust. (Make sure crust has cooled first.)

Bake until the filling is set 1 1/2 inches from the edge but center still shakes, 45 to 50 minutes (the filling will continue to set as it cools).

Transfer the cake, still in the pan, to a rack and immediately run a knife around the edge, then remove the side of the pan. Cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.