Brownie-Bottom Lemon Cheesecake

Name: Brownie-Bottom Lemon Cheesecake
Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients: Nonstick vegetable oil spray; 6 tablespoons all purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped; 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter; 3/4 cup sugar; 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 5 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature; 13/4 cups sugar; 2 tablespoons all purpose flour; 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel; 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; 5 large eggs; 2 large egg yolks; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 cup sour cream; Bittersweet chocolate curls or shavings; 1 lemon, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise; 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch- to 3-inch-high sides; Offset spatula

This recipe wasn't created, per se; it was a happy accident. One of our new (though lovely) bakers was working on a tray of brownies and pulled them out too early from the oven. They were too underdone for sale, so we cut some out, pressed them into the bottom of a springform pan, and used them as the base of our cheesecake. It has been on our menu ever since.

By Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

March 31, 2009