Last week I made my very first cheesecake.  It was far from perfect— with a big crack across the top the size of the Grand Canyon.  But looks didn’t matter, it was damn tasty.  Slip and I were going to Anna and Anita’s for dinner on an insanely hot day and I was mandated to bring a dessert.  I wanted to do something light and refreshing.  In summer I usually opt for cobbler type desserts but I didn’t want to bring something piping hot.  So, cheesecake it was.  Lemon, ricotta, and blueberry are a perfect combination and it went something like this:

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Recipe Courtesy of Emeril

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 6 tbsp. melted butter
• 1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 large eggs
• Zest of one lemon
• 3/4 lb. ricotta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a bowl mix together graham cracker crumbs (which ps graham crackers are SO good I want to eat them all the time), 1/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon.  Add butter and mix well (this will all smell amazing).  Using the back of spoon, push evenly into the bottom and slightly up the side of a 9” springform pan.  Bake until golden, about 8 minutes.  Allow to cool before filling.

3. Beat together cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time and lemon zest and continue to beat together until blended.  Add the ricotta cheese and blend until smooth.

4. Pour cheese mixture into crust and bake in the middle of the oven (my mom suggests putting a pan filled with water on the rack underneath your cake to help prevent cracks).  Allow cheesecake to bake at 375 for 45 minutes, until starting to set.  Turn heat down to 325 and bake another 20-25 minutes.

5. Remove cheesecake from the oven and run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen it.  Loosen the outer ring of the pan and allow cake to cool on a wire rack until room temperature (about an hour).  Once it is cool, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

(Don’t worry, the blueberry sauce covers that right up!)

• 1/2 pint fresh blueberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

1. Add blueberries, sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan (feel free to double or triple the recipe if you want more!)  Add 1/3 cup water and lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to simmering and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until mixture begins to thicken.

2. Remove from heat and strain most of the liquid.  Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to use.

The photo is a little flash intense, but the cheesecake was perfection (minus large gaping crack on top).  Ricotta lightens the cheesecake up from the regular heaviness of an all cream cheese cake and the other flavors compliment each other so well.  I am actually excited to try cheesecake again, shooting for a clean top next time, and mix up the variety, too!