Pink Lemonade Cheesecake

Pink Lemonade Cheesecake Recipe

I made this cheesecake one hot summer when I still lived in Chicago for a backyard party and it was gone within 30 minutes of serving. I think just the idea of pink lemonade on a hot day made the cheesecake seem even more refreshing!

I had the opportunity to make this lovely bake again a few weeks ago for my Bell Choir Concert and even though it wasn't a hot day, this cheesecake was gone within 30 minutes of serving. I had to take everyone's world for it that it had set up this time!

Ingredients

Crust

13 Lemon cream-filled sandwich cookies, crushed

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

5 teaspoons cornstarch

4 eggs

1 egg yolk

3/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 drops red food coloring

Glaze

1/2 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 drop red food coloring

Directions:

Make the crust: In a small bowl, stir the crushed cookies and melted butter together until well combined.

Press crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom of a greased 9 or 10 inch springform pan; set aside. Wrap bottom of springform pan with foil to prevent leaking.

Make the filling: in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch; beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add in eggs and egg yolk, one at a a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Beat in the lemonade concentrate, vanilla, and red food coloring; pour cream cheese mixture over the crust.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes; decrease temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the center is no longer shiny.

Place a cookie sheet in the middle of the oven. Place the cheesecake on the cookie sheet. Pour bowling water around cheesecake to bake in the water bath.

Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan; turn the oven off; return the cake to the oven for an additional one hour.

Chill, uncovered, overnight.

Make the glaze: in a small saucepan, stire the lemonade concentrate, lemon juice, cornstarch, and food coloring together; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Cool and stir 2 minutes more; pour over cheesecake and chill until ready to serve.