A Box Full of Love



My mother recently moved into a new home which is perfectly sized for her, and this box full of love is one of the things that came home with me. It's filled with recipes from family and friends, business cards of contacts she wanted to keep and my late father's scrawled index card of the Amtrack schedule for when my sister was attending the University of Virginia. Which is priceless.

This humble wooden box created rainy day fun for my sister and I as we attempted to make brownies, cookies, and some rather flat cakes . . . I promise both she and myself have gotten better over the years!

Wrapping the box is my late maternal grandmother's apron. Nini bustled around her kitchen with this very same apron tied around her slender body. Although she was in great shape, those of us who ate the delicious food she prepared had to take a long walk around the neighborhood afterward.

With Valentine's Day soon approaching it got me to thinking about what special thing to make for my own family. I rifled through this box to find "The Recipe." Memories flooded me as I unfolded the Lindy's Cheesecake recipe my mother would make for my father's February 15th birthday. As it baked, Florida-fresh citrus, vanilla, and pure bliss perfumed the whole downstairs of the house and made my dad grin with glee. Here's a bit of my family's tradition to yours. Enjoy!


Lindy's Famous Cheesecake
 

Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
1 cup flour
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon zest
¼ tsp. salt
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
(A graham cracker crust can be substituted for the cookie crust)


FOR THE FILLING:
2½ lb. cream cheese softened
1¼ cups sugar
3 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. orange zest
1½ tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. vanilla extract
5 whole eggs, plus 2 yolks
¼ cup heavy cream

Instructions
For the cookie crust: Combine flour, butter, sugar, zest, salt, yolk, and vanilla in a bowl; rub with fingers until dough forms. Form dough into 2 rounds; wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour. Press 1 dough round onto bottom of a 9" springform pan; pull off pieces from remaining dough and press around sides of the pan. Set aside.
    For the filling: Heat oven to 500°. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, zest, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium-high speed of a hand mixer until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition, until smooth; stir in cream. Pour filling into pan, and bake until top begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 250°, and bake until just set, about 1 hour more. Turn the oven off but leave the cake in there for about an hour. Fold a kitchen towel and use it to prop the door open an inch or so to release the heat. Transfer cake to a rack, and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.


    Have a wonderful Valentine's Day, whether you're making the special dinner, or dessert or reservations, enjoy yourself! 


    What are some ways you show your love to others on Valentine's Day? And I have to ask, what is your favorite romantic book to read?

    Comments

    1. Oh My I love cheesecake and you are so blessed to have these memories. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

      ReplyDelete
    2. Thank you Barbara. You're welcome, if you lived closer, I'd make one for you : )

      ReplyDelete

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