Directions – Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 Celsius).  Placed cookies in large ziplock bag and crush with rolling pin.  These cookies are soft so this does not take long.  Pour crumbs in bowl and mix with butter until combined.
2. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

Directions – Filling

1. Beat cream cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup sugar together in a bowl using a stand or electric mixture until smooth and creamy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (but do not over beat as this can cause your cheesecake to crack).
3. Mix lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon zest into cream cheese mixture, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
4. Pour mixture over cookie crust in springform pan.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until almost set in the center.  My cheesecake takes exactly 1 hour to bake.  However, I set my kitchen time at 55 minutes to make sure that I have not overcooked it before finishing the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
6. Remove cheesecake from oven and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
7. Place in refrigerator to chill at least 3 to 4 hours. I chill mine until the next day.  That is completely up to you.

Directions – Cheesecake

1. After cheesecake has thoroughly chilled, remove sides of springform pan.
2. Spread 1/2 to 3/4 cup lemon curd over cheesecake. The springform pan I use allows the cheesecake to form a border around the outside and a well on the inside.  I keep my lemon curd within those borders in the well as this makes for a prettier cheesecake, but that is up to you.
3. Place cheesecake back in fridge to chill while you make your meringue.

Directions – Meringue

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
2. Beat egg whites at medium speed in glass bowl using an electric mixture or metal bowl using a stand mixer. Beat until soft peaks form (This means the egg whites will curl over the beaters when lifted).
3. Add sugar gradually while beating at high speed.  If you add the sugar too quickly, your meringue will collapse because it will lose the air you are trying to create.
4. Continue beating on high speed until the sugar dissolves and beautiful, glossy, stiff peaks form.  You will know you have achieved perfection when you lift the beater(s) out and the tips of the meringue stand at attention (straight up) when you turn the beater(s) upside down.
5. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating.
6. Place a drop of meringue between your index finger and thumb to test whether you can feel any sugar granules. If you can still feel sugar, continue beating until sugar dissolves.
7. Spread the meringue over the lemon curd. 
8. Make sure that the meringue touches the sides of the cheesecake (meaning you can not see any lemon curd).  This will prevent your meringue from shrinking.
9. Bake the meringue topped cheesecake in the oven until tips over meringue are a golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Watch closely to keep from burning.
10. Chill cheesecake in refrigerator at least one hour.  (Do not cover as this will cause your meringue to collapse.)