CD 6 and Lemon Cheesecake

I'm tired. Let's cut to the chase: on Tuesday I went in for CD3 b/w and got the good doctor, who glibly pointed out the movement of my digestive track while searching for follicles. I started shooting Foll.istim again and will go back tomorrow for another scan and more b/w. This time I will remember to ask about my numbers. Anyone have any idea whether high FSH=low egg quality on a per-cycle basis? The "almost-was" cycle I had high FSH compared to my usual levels, and I am wondering if that is an indicator I should be watching.

I have been so tired lately, I am starting to think I have some kind of disorder. It is not like me to be this...trudgey. Everything feels like work. I guess it doesn't help that Speedy & I are really buckling down on our budget. We cover groceries, acupuncture and dog food every week, and that's about it. We actually do track our spending to the dollar and we never have cash in our pockets, so there is no room for discretionary or impulse spending. It is a lesson in how much consumerism is built into our lives. The other day I went a little crazy and in a fit of pique (after Speedy's little dog got into the trash again) I ordered a $60 trash can, with a cover. It felt really good. Until I told Speedy and she brought me back to reality. We are in no position to be spending $60 on trash cans. Le sigh. I canceled the order. Then I called CCB and ordered $815 in sperm. Or rather, one vial of sperm, which cost $815, including shipping.

Our donor has retired, but still has >25 IUI vials left. Should I be worried? Speedy put me on sperm-watch, so every day I log in to check that he hasn't sold more vials. we don't want to pay $645 to have someone click "reserved" next to one of his vials, only to have to pay "storage fees" on top of that. Their generous "buy-back" program would only refund half of that money and the whole thing seems vaguely scammy to me. But I love Jacques, so I am a little concerned that one day I will log on and find he has no more vials.

In other news. The promised lemon cheesecake recipe. (adapted from Cook's Illustrated, May 2003). And the picture of the finished project, which was divine if I do say so myself.



Note: from beginning to end, it took about 6 hours to finish. I would suggest NOT trying to do it after work.

Equipment you will need:

Food processor
Stand mixer
Fine mesh sieve
Spring-form pan
Roasting or casserole pan large enough to hold 9-inch springform pan
Offset icing spatula

Cookie-Crumb Crust
5 ounces Nabisco Barnum's Animal Crackers or Social Tea Biscuits
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and kept warm

Filling
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (8 3/4 ounces)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese , (three 8-ounce packages), cut into rough 1-inch chunks and left to stand at room temperature 30 to 45 minutes
4 large eggs , room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

Lemon Curd
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch table salt

Instructions

FOR THE CRUST: Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in lower-middle position. Process cookies to fine, even crumbs in the food processor (about 30 seconds). You should have about 1 cup). Add sugar and pulse 2 or 3 times to incorporate. Add warm melted butter in slow, steady stream while pulsing; pulse until mixture is evenly moistened and resembles wet sand. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, keeping sides as clean as possible. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 30 minutes. When cool, wrap outside of pan with two 18-inch square pieces heavy-duty foil; set springform pan in roasting pan.

FOR THE FILLING: Process 1/4 cup sugar and lemon zest in food processor until sugar is yellow and zest is broken down. You really want the zest broken down, or you will be chewing it when you eat the cake. Transfer lemon sugar to small bowl; stir in remaining 1 cup sugar.

In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on low to break up and soften slightly, about 5 seconds. With machine running, add sugar mixture in slow steady stream; increase speed to medium and continue to beat until mixture is creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. I recommend giving the bottom of the bowl a couple of swipes with the rubber spatula to make sure there is no lumpy, unbeaten cream cheese lurking there. I had to fish out lumps when my batter was done.

Reduce speed to medium-low and add eggs 2 at a time; beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping sides and bottom of bowl well after each addition. Add lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and mix until just incorporated, about 5 seconds; add heavy cream and mix until just incorporated, about 5 seconds longer.

***NOTE: This next step is important to do in order. Don't get cocky like I did and think you should fill the roasting pan with water FIRST. Because the empty springform pan will float. And that is hard to deal with. Follow the rules. You are in the church of dessert making.***
Give batter final scrape, stir with rubber spatula, and pour into prepared springform pan; fill roasting pan with enough hot tap water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until center jiggles slightly, sides just start to puff, surface is no longer shiny, and instant-read thermometer inserted in center of cake registers 150 degrees, 55 to 60 minutes. Turn off oven and prop open oven door with potholder or wooden spoon handle; allow cake to cool in water bath in oven for 1 hour. Transfer springform pan without foil to wire rack; run small paring knife around inside edge of pan to loosen sides of cake and cool cake to room temperature, about 2 hours. (Good time to watch Dexter. Or let your wife know how much you love her.)

FOR THE LEMON CURD: While cheesecake bakes, heat lemon juice in small nonreactive (stainless steel) saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Whisk eggs and yolk in medium nonreactive bowl; gradually whisk in sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon juice into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to cling to spoon, about 3 minutes. THIS HAPPENS REALLY FAST. PAY ATTENTION. NO LOLLY-GAGGING! Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in cold butter until incorporated; stir in cream, vanilla, and salt, then pour curd through fine-mesh strainer into small nonreactive bowl. Cover surface of curd directly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until needed.

TO FINISH THE CAKE: When cheesecake is cool, scrape lemon curd onto cheesecake still in springform pan; using offset icing spatula, spread curd evenly over top of cheesecake. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, remove sides of springform pan and cut cake into wedges.

Oh, nums!