Ingredients
1¾cupsgraham cracker crumbs
⅓cupunsalted butter,melted
pinchsalt
1½cupssugar,divided
32ozBricks Neufchatel Cream Cheese,low-fat, softened
1cupGreek yogurt
1tbspvanilla extract
1tbspfresh lavender buds,finely chopped, measure first then chop the buds
1tbspearl grey tea leaves,optional
4eggs
2cupsheavy cream
1earl grey tea bag,optional
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Whisk graham cracker crumbs, margarine, salt, and ¼ cup of the sugar together in a medium bowl until combined.
Press firmly onto the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes then remove and let cool. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F.
Once the pan reaches room temperature, carefully wrap the outside of the pan in 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, being sure that there are no gaps where water could seep through.
Place the pan in a large roasting dish (or any pan larger than the springform) and bring a tea kettle or pot of water to boil in preparation for the water bath. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth. Add the remaining 1-¼ cup sugar and beat for an additional minute until well blended.
Add Greek yogurt, vanilla, and lavender (and earl grey tea, if using), and beat for an additional minute, stopping partway to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Do not overbeat. Pour into crust.
Place the double pans in the oven on a shelf on the bottom third of the oven.
Use a tea kettle (or large measuring cup) to pour the boiling water in the larger pan to form a water bath around the springform so that it comes up about 1-inch around the springform.
Close the oven door, and bake about 1 hour 40 min or until the center is almost set. Turn the oven off, and open the oven door slightly. Let cheesecake set in oven for 1 hour.
Then remove cheesecake from the oven, carefully run a knife around the edges of the cake, and then let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Remove springform rim, and top cheesecake with whipped cream just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator.
To make earl grey homemade whipped cream, first, bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a tea bag and steep for 4 minutes then remove the teabag.
Refrigerate cream until cool.
