Sweet Monkey

1. Place a round piece of parchment paper in an 8” springform pan.
2. Combine crushed vanilla wafers and melted butter and pour into the prepared baking dish. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides. Put in the refrigerator. You may bake your crust for 12 minutes if you like, but it’s not necessary.
3. Cheesecake: Whip heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in powdered and granulated sugars and continue to beat until smooth. Add in sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the crust and evenly smooth it out with a spatula. Put in the fridge overnight or up to 6 hours.
4. Lemon curd: Using a double boiler, add lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, egg yolk, and sugar to the top of the double boiler and whisk constantly until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add in butter, continuing to stir until combined. Pour into a glass jar and cover. Let cool for 15 minutes and refrigerate overnight with the cheesecake.
5. Meringue: In the morning, make your meringue. Whisk egg whites and sugar in a stand mixer bowl over simmering water (double boiler method) until the sugar dissolves. Beat the meringue with a whisk attachment for 6 minutes on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add in vanilla extract and combine.
6. Add the lemon curd on top of the cheesecake and pipe meringue on top. Lightly torch the meringue!