Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Lavender Truffle

Serves 8 to 12

Crust

• ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup melted butter

Cheesecake

• 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1½ cups sugar
• ½ tablespoon kosher salt
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 1 yolk from extra-large egg
• 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
• ½ tablespoon Madagascar vanilla paste (you can substitute a good quality extract)
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• Cacao nibs, sea salt for garnish

Crust Combine cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Spray 8-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Cut parchment paper to line bottom; spray pan again. Press crumb mixture into pan; bake at 325 degrees for 14 minutes. Cool.

Filling Using paddle attachment in stand mixer (a hand mixer works, too) combine cream cheese, cornstarch, sugar and salt; mix at medium speed 5 minutes. Add eggs and yolk slowly, mixing on low, until incorporated. Follow with lemon juice and zest, vanilla and heavy cream, mixing 3 minutes more.

Pour into pan; level mixture with spatula. Place cake pan inside a roasting pan; add cold water to a depth of 1½ inches. Bake at 300 degrees 2½ hours or until the cheesecake is slightly browned on top.

Remove from water bath, and cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.

An hour prior to serving, loosen cake from pan with warm knife. Invert onto sheet pan, tapping lightly till cake drops. Invert again on serving plate. Spread with Dark Chocolate Lavender Truffle (recipe follows), letting it just drip over the sides. Sprinkle ¼ cup cacao nibs and 1 teaspoon sea salt over the top. Chill 1 hour. To serve,
slice with warm knife.

Dark Chocolate Lavender Truffle In small pan, bring ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces till mixture is smooth, followed by ¼ cup lavender simple syrup. Purchase ready-made or make your own (you can find a source or recipe easily online).