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Passover Lemon Swirled Honey Cheesecake with Pistachio Crust

Irvin Lin of Eat the Love shares a simple and tasty Kosher for Passover lemon cheesecake recipe that everyone will enjoy, year round.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr mins
Chill Time
12 hrs
Total Time
14 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 523 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

Lemon Curd Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
Pistachio Crust Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup shelled pistachio nuts
  • 1/2 cup matzo meal
  • 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling Ingredients
  • 24 ounces cream cheese (Kosher for Passover)
  • 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sour cream (Kosher for Passover)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make the lemon curd by placing the sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor and pulse process until the sugar is uniformly yellow. Pour the lemon sugar in a medium pot and add the lemon juice and eggs. Whisk together and place on the stove over medium-low heat. Add the butter and cook, whisking constantly, until the whisk holds marks as you stir, about 5 to 6 minutes. Pour the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl and cover with wax paper. Let cool to room temperature as you prep the rest of the cheesecake ingredients.Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Turn the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan upside down so removal of the cheesecake from the bottom is easy to do. Smear a little softened butter on the bottom of the pan and place a 9-inch parchment paper round at the bottom of the pan. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.Make the crust by placing the pistachio nuts, matzo meal, sugar and salt in the food processor (don’t bother cleaning the processor from the lemon sugar). Pulse process until the nuts are finely processed and the entire crust is uniform in color. With the processor on, drizzle the melted butter into the machine. Once all the butter has been added, turn the processor off and dump the wet crumbs into the bottom of the lined 9-inch spring form pan. Using the back of a spoon, press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan (it doesn’t have to go all the way up, just as much as you can).Place the crust in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges of the crust start to brown a bit and smells fragrant. Remove crust from oven and turn the oven down to 300˚F.
  2. Make the filling by placing the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together on medium speed until fluffy (about a minute or two). Add the honey and beat to incorporate, about 30 seconds on medium speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting for each to incorporate before adding the next one. Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat to incorporate. Carefully spoon 2/3 of the filling into the prebaked crust and spread out evenly on the bottom. Spoon 2/3 of the curd over the filling and swirl with a butter knife. Cover the curd with the remaining cheesecake filling and drizzle the remaining curd over the top of the filling. Marble with a butter knife decoratively.
  3. Put the cheesecake in the oven (still on the baking sheet) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the edges of the cheesecake start to puff up and look solid. The center of the cheesecake will be wobbly but don’t worry, it’ll firm up as it cools. Once the cheesecake is done, turn off the oven, prop the door of the oven open with a wooden spoon, and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for an hour. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for an additional two hours or until the bottom of the cheesecake pan doesn’t feel warm to the touch anymore. Cover the pan with aluminum foil (don’t let it touch the top of the cheesecake!) and refrigerate overnight or at least for 8 hours. Serve from the fridge or let it sit out for about an hour before serving for a slightly less firm texture.

Nutrition Information

Calories 523kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 42g (14%) Protein 8g (16%) Fat 36g (55%) Saturated Fat 19g (95%) Cholesterol 185mg (62%) Sodium 279mg (12%) Potassium 223mg (6%) Sugar 35g (70%) Vitamin A 1280IU (26%) Vitamin C 5.1mg (6%) Calcium 95mg (10%) Iron 1.2mg (7%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 523

% Daily Value*

Calories 523kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Protein 8g 16%
Fat 36g 55%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Cholesterol 185mg 62%
Sodium 279mg 12%
Potassium 223mg 5%
Sugar 35g 70%
Vitamin A 1280IU 26%
Vitamin C 5.1mg 6%
Calcium 95mg 10%
Iron 1.2mg 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.