Lemon ricotta cheesecake

    Somehow I have never been a fan of cheesecake made with cream cheese.  Too heavy for my taste.  On a trip to Rehoboth Beach this past October I had ricotta cheesecake that was fabulous.  Looking for a recipe I can across a few and added lemon curd that made this even better.  Here is the recipe.

Crust: 1-1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 45 wafers) 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Filling: 32 container whole-milk ricotta cheese 2/3 cup white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 6 eggs 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 cup lemon curd 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt Directions: In a small bowl, combine wafer crumbs, butter and lemon peel. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9 1/2-in. springform pan. Bake at 325° F for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, stir ricotta with a rubber spatula until it reaches an extremely smooth consistency. Add the sugar and flour into the ricotta, mixing thoroughly. Stir in the eggs 1 at a time. Next add in the vanilla, cinnamon, lemon curd, and salt. Mix well. Pour batter into crust. Bake in the center of the oven for about 75 to 90 minutes at 300° F, until the cake is a light golden color. When it's ready, the center should be fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center will come out clean. Cool cake on a wire rack. Cover, and chill till serving time. P.S.   Using a store bought graham cracker pie shell works well too and makes the recipe easier. #hocofood