Lavender Lemon Cheesecake Squares Food

LAVENDER CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Whisk graham cracker crumbs, margarine, salt and 1/4 cup of the sugar together in a medium bowl until combined. Press firmly onto bottom of the pan (or up the sides, if desired). Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F.
• Once the pan reaches room temperature, carefully wrap the outside of the pan in 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, being sure that there are NO gaps where water could seep through. Place the pan in a large roasting dish (or any pan larger than the springform), and bring a tea kettle or pot of water to boil in preparation for the water bath. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth. Add the remaining 1-1/4 cup sugar and beat for an additional minute until well blended. Add Greek yogurt, vanilla and lavender (and earl grey tea, if using), and beat for an additional minute, stopping partway to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Do not overbeat! Pour into crust.
• Place the double pans in the oven on a shelf on the bottom third of the oven. Very carefully use a tea kettle (or large measuring cup) to pour the boiling water in the larger pan to form a water bath around the springform, so that it comes up about 1-inch around the springform.
• Close the oven door, and bake about 1 hour 40 min, or until center is almost set. (The center of the cake should still jiggle ever so slightly.) Turn oven off, and open oven door slightly. Let cheesecake set in oven 1 hour. Then remove cheesecake from oven, carefully run a knife around the edges of the cake, and then let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove springform rim, and top cheesecake with whipped cream just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.
• To make earl grey homemade whipped cream, first bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a tea bag and steep for 4 minutes, then remove the tea bag. Refrigerate cream until cool. Then follow these simple instructions for how to make homemade whipped cream.

LAVENDER-LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Bring large saucepan of water to boil; pour into casserole dish. Place on bottom oven rack. (This acts as a makeshift water bath and turns the oven into a "steam room," to help prevent the cheesecake from cracking as it bakes.)
• Combine cracker crumbs, butter and brown sugar; press onto bottom of parchment-lined 13x9-inch baking dish.
• Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add granulated sugar; mix well. Add all remaining ingredients except eggs; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
• Pour over crust.
• Bake 1 hour 5 min. or until center of cheesecake is almost set.
• Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door partially open, 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool completely.
• Refrigerate 2 hours. Use parchment handles to remove cheesecake from baking dish before cutting into squares to serve.

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, oats and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Press dough into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Spread with jam., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Beat in lemon juice and zest. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Carefully spoon over jam. , Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

LAVENDER CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• CRUST: Butter an 8" square baking dish.
• In a bowl cream the butter and brown sugar together. Stir in the flour, pecans and lavender.
• *Reserve* 1 cup of the crust mixture. Press the remaining mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
• FILLING: While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by beating together the white sugar and cream cheese. Next beat in the egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract until smooth.
• Pour the filling into the baked crust then sprinkle evenly with the reserved crust topping.
• Bake 25 minutes. Remove from rack and cool 10 minutes. To serve, cut into squares and place on cake platter. Garnish with fresh lavender sprigs if desired.
• Keep stored in refrigerator; covered well.

LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°Grease a 9- × 9-inch baking pan.
• Cut out a 9- × 9-inch square of parchment paper and lay on top of the greased bottom of the pan
• For the crust, use a pastry blender to combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, butter, and lemon zest until the mixture is coarse crumbs, with the butter worked in. Press the dough into the greased baking pan, on top of the parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and place the pan on a wire rack to cool slightly. Leave the oven switched on.
• For the cream cheese layer, fit a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until light and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the egg completely, then pour the mixture onto the warm crust. Return to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly set on top. You need to have the top cooked in a slight crust so the lemon layer doesn't seep through when poured on top. Remove. Leave the oven switched on.
• For the lemon layer, whisk together all the ingredients by hand. Gently pour over the cream cheese layer, trying not to disturb it. Spread out the lemon in an even layer.
• Return to the hot oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is just set in the center.
• Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered to letthe filling set completely. This should be refrigerated at least 3 hours, but more time may be needed.
• Sprinkle with icing sugar if desired. Slice into squares to serve.
• These can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator, or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

LEMONY CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Melt butter in saucepan, then stir in graham cracker crumbs and 2 T.
• sugar.
• Measure and set aside 3 T crumbs for topping.
• Press remaining crumbs into ungreased 9" square pan and set aside.
• For filling, dissolve jello in boiling water in a bowl.
• In small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice together until smooth.
• Slowly, beat in warm jello.
• Chill until it starts to set.
• Beat cream until stiff and fold into mixture.
• Pour over crust in pan and sprinkle with reserved 3 T crumbs.
• Chill well.

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Crimp overhang under rim of pan.
• In a food processor, blend graham crackers with sugar until finely ground; add butter and pulse until moistened.
• Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and pat in gently (wipe processor bowl clean, and reserve for making filling). Bake until beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. While crust is baking, make filling.
• Make the filling: Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice; blend until smooth.
• Pour mixture onto hot crust in pan; smooth top. Return to oven, and bake until set (filling should jiggle only slightly when pan is gently shaken), 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool completely in pan. Cover very loosely with plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Use foil overhang to lift cheesecake out of pan. With metal spatula, lift cheesecake from foil; cut into 16 squares.

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• For the crust: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with the baking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing at least 2 inches of overhang on the two long sides. Lightly coat the parchment with the baking spray.
• Combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor or gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Add the melted butter and pulse until evenly moistened. Press the mixture about 1 inch up the sides of the prepared cake pan, then press to cover the bottom evenly. Bake until the edges just become golden and the crust is fragrant, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Use your fingers to rub together the sugar, lemon zest and salt in a small bowl until the mixture is fragrant. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the cream cheese on low speed, then raise the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl, then beat for another few seconds to combine.
• Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla on low speed until combined. Mix in half of the beaten eggs and until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and paddle well and then mix in the remaining half of the beaten eggs on low speed just until combined.
• Pour the batter over the freshly baked warm crust and spread smooth. Place the lemon curd in a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe lines of the lemon curd across the batter (alternately, spoon small dollops of curd across the batter.) Use a toothpick to swirl the curd and batter together slightly.
• Place the baking pan in a slightly larger baking pan or roasting pan. Place in the center of the oven. Very carefully pour about 1 inch of steaming hot water into the larger pan to create a water bath. Gently slide the oven rack back in place and close the door. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the center barely jiggles, 42 to 45 minutes. The temperature at the center of the cheesecake should be about 150 degrees F.
• Once baked, turn off the oven, prop open the door and allow the cheesecake to cool down inside the oven for 45 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely before refrigerating for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• To serve, use the parchment overhang to pull the cheesecake out of the pan. Peel down the sides of the parchment and cut into 24 bars. Serve immediately or store tightly covered for up to 3 days.

LAVENDER LEMON BARS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x12 inch baking dish.
• Make lavender sugar by blending the sugar and 2 teaspoons lavender buds in a blender; blend until the lavender is powdered.
• Blend together with an electric mixer 1/4 cup of the lavender sugar, butter, coconut oil, 2 cups flour, and salt in a bowl until a dough forms; press into the bottom of the prepared dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top begins to turn golden brown; about 15 minutes.
• While the dough bakes, mix together the remaining lavender sugar, 1/4 cup flour, eggs, lemon juice, lemon extract, and 1/2 teaspoon lavender buds; pour over the baked crust and return to the oven to bake until the center is set, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely and dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

LEMON LAVENDER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®) generously.
• Measure 5 tablespoons milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until warmed through, 30 to 45 seconds. Add lavender buds. Let steep to release their flavor, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Whisk white sugar and butter together in a large bowl until creamy. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice and lemon zest; mix until well-blended. Stir milk and lavender buds into the batter.
• Sift cake flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Slowly fold into the batter, stirring well to prevent lumps. Pour into the greased tube pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
• Whisk remaining 5 tablespoons milk, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and confectioners' sugar together in a small bowl to make glaze; drizzle over the cooled cake. Let stand until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.