Mamie Eisenhower, like many other First Ladies before and since, managed to establish herself as a culinary and fashion icon, proving herself a renowned hostess for world leaders. Among her many accomplishments was this dessert, the Mamie Eisenhower Cheesecake; a deceptively simple, but refreshingly delicious, treat. Chocolate cookie crumbs help make a deeply bittersweet and buttery crust, while the filling is simple, tangy, and creamy, with just a hint of lemon. Mamie Eisenhower Cheesecake is the throwback dessert that certainly deserves a comeback!
Ingredients
- 1 (9-ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more, to taste, softened, for greasing the pan
- 2 (16-ounce) packages full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
Directions
Step 1 –Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 275 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a food processor, pulse the cookies into fine crumbs.
Step 3 –Add 4 tablespoons of the melted butter to the cookie crumbs and pulse to combine.
Step 4 –Using the extra softened butter, grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan and sprinkle the cookie crumbs inside.
Step 5 –Shake the cake pan to distribute the cookie crumbs evenly on the bottom, and then use a fork to press them down evenly.
Step 6 –Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
Step 7 –Raise the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Step 8 –In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and the sugar at medium speed until completely smooth, about 15 minutes. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a spatula.
Step 9 –Beat in the eggs one at a time until completely incorporated, scraping down the bowl and paddle before each addition.
Step 10 –Add the sour cream, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice and continue to beat until the mixture is uniformly smooth.
Step 11 –Pour the cheesecake batter over the cookie crumb crust and place on the center rack.
Step 12 –Bake until the cake is just set, yet still wobbly in the center, and moves when the pan is gently shaken, about 60 minutes.
Step 13 –Transfer from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
Step 14 –Refrigerate the cheesecake until completely chilled, about 2 hours.
Step 15 –Serve.
