Classic Italian Cheesecake

Making a recipe for the first time is kind of nerve wrecking. A lot of questions run through your head (or at least for me). "This seems like too much sugar, is it really going to turn out?"

I made this classic Italian Cheesecake for the first time this weekend.

One word: amazing.

Any thing of Better Homes and Gardens scares. BHG is for OLD PEOPLE. (Then again I am a subscriber of Reader's Digest :) )

Click here.

About them candied lemon peels. Here's a great, easy recipe from Martha Stewart.

The Recipe for Candied Lemon Peels

6 lemons

2 cup sugar

Using a veggie peeler, peel zest from lemons into stripes using the entire length of the lemon. Remember: white part=bitter. Try not to get a lot of white pith.

Blench lemon peels for 1 minute.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and 2 cups water. Cook until sugar completely dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add lemon zest. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until zest is mostly translucent. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature -ish.

At this stage syrup and zest can be stored together in the fridge in an airtight container..for about 1 month. When serving time comes, line a baking pan with wax paper and put a wire rack over pan. Put lemon zest on rack to let syrup drip off. Once syrup is mostly dripped off....serve.