Elke Sommer's Cheesecake

Elke Sommer's Cheesecake

For the dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
pinch salt
2 egg yolks
a little cold water
2 tsps. sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 cup butter, softened

Combine flour, sugar, lemon rind and salt. Make well in center, add beaten egg yolks and butter. Work all the ingredients with hands until well blended. Add a little cold water to make a light dough. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil (or wax paper). Chill 1 hour.

Roll out half the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Place over bottom of an oiled 9-inch springform cake pan. Trim off dough. Bake in preheated 375 degrees F. oven about 15 minutes (or until light golden in color). Cool, put crust in bottom of spring pan; roll out remaining dough. Make band to fit sides of pan, press firmly to bottom crust. Fill with cheese filling.

For the filling:
2 cups creamy cottage cheese (or pot cheese), well-drained
3 tbsps. flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsps. grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs, separated
3 tbsps. lemon juice
pinch salt
1 cup heavy cream

Force cottage cheese through sieve; mix well with flour; beat until light and fluffy. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored, gradually add half the sugar and all the lemon juice and lemon rind, salt and vanilla extract. Mix with collage cheese; blend well. Beat cream until whipped. Beat egg whites in separate bowl until whites stand in peaks. Gradually add sugar. Fold whipped cream into white mixture; fold into cottage cheese.

Pour into dough-lined spring pan. Bake in preheated 550 degrees F. oven 10 minutes; reduce heat to 325 degrees F. and bake 50 minutes longer. Turn off oven and open door. Cool cake thoroughly before removing. Chill well before serving. Top with hulled cleaned strawberries. Top with dollops of sour cream (optional). Serves 8.