Instructions: FOR COOKIE CRUST
If food processor available:
With sharp knife, remove peel of 1 lemon (no pith). Throw into food processor with 1/4 cup flour and process until peel is thoroughly grated. Add an additional cup of flour and all other ingredients.

If food processor not available:
Grate lemon peel by hand. In electric mixer, combine all ingredients.

Process only until a ball is formed. (There may be some crumbs on bottom; just press them in by hand; DO NOT OVERPROCESS.) Flatten ball into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400F. Remove outer ring of 10" springform. With dinner knife, spread 1/3 of dough on bottom of springform right up to the edges (1/8" thick crust); prick bottom with fork. Return remaining dough to refrigerator. Bake bottom crust about 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Attach ring and, using same dinner knife technique, spread dough around ring to form an 1/8" crust, 1 1/2" high. Even top edge by running a sharp knife around top of crust. Fill with chosen filling and bake per recipe.

Variation: Add 1/4 cup roasted almond meal instead of extract; do not change any other ingredients. Use same meal to top cake.

Variation: Before adding filling, but after shell is formed, spread marzipan or jam on bottom crust.

NOTE: Additional crust can be frozen or add more flour to stiffen dough so that it can be rolled out. Using a cookie cutter or sharp knife, cut shapes to decorate top of finished cake. Place on wax paper on cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool before using.

FOR PUMPKIN FILLING
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first 6 ingredients (3/4 cup sugar, pumpkin puree, 3 egg yolks, cinnamon, allspice, and salt) together and set aside.

In electric mixer, combine cream cheese and 6 tablespoons of sugar; add egg and blend; add additional egg yolk and blend until smooth. Add cornstarch and blend in well. Add extract and lemon juice and mix until very smooth.

Pour into prepared crust and bake 45 minutes to one hour. The sides of the filling will have risen a bit, the surface will be concave and the center will be somewhat soft, but not raw. Remove from oven and allow to cook on a rack away from drafts. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

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