Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

To prepare the lemon meringue cheesecake, start with the base: put the cookies in a mixer 1 and finely chop them. Place the butter to melt in a saucepan; in the meantime, put the chopped cookies in a bowl and gradually add the melted butter 2, mixing everything well. Butter a springform pan, better if it has a 9-inch diameter; cut out a round piece of parchment paper the same diameter as the bottom of the pan and two strips the same height as the sides, then line the pan itself. Click here to see the procedure. Pour the crumbled cookies into the parchment-lined pan and, with the help of a spoon, compact the base and sides of the pan with the cookies 3. Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for half an hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Now let's take care of the filling. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, pour the Philadelphia cheese, add the egg yolks 4 (set aside the egg whites for the meringue), cornstarch, milk, and sugar 5, and beat everything with the mixer whisk or with the help of a beater for a few minutes. Once everything is well mixed, add the juice of 1 lemon 6

and the grated zest of two lemons 7. Finally, add the fresh liquid cream gradually, always with the mixer running 8. Now that the mixture is ready, pour it into the pan 9 and bake at 340°F for about an hour in a preheated static oven. After baking, let the cheesecake cool at room temperature, and once cool, place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Now focus on preparing the Italian meringue. In a saucepan, heat the sugar covered with water 10 and wait until it reaches a temperature of 250°F 11. While the sugar is reaching the temperature, whip the egg whites until stiff, with a pinch of salt, and when they are frothy, add a few drops of lemon to stabilize them and continue beating. Once the sugar has reached the temperature, add it gradually to the egg whites with the mixer still running 12.

Continue beating until the meringue is completely cool (you just need to touch the bowl with your hands and check that there is no more heat). You should get a dense, smooth, and glossy meringue 13. Once the cheesecake is baked, decorate the surface with the prepared meringue, creating peaks with a spoon 14. You can also use a piping bag if you wish. Once the decoration is complete 15, put the cake in the oven with the grill function at maximum power for 2 minutes. Now we just have to eat it!