Lemon Verbena Cheesecake Food

GINGER LEMON BASQUE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Grease one side of 2 to 3 sheets of parchment paper. Lay them butter-side up inside a 10-inch springform pan, arranging so that they cover all sides, and crimping the edges to ensure they stay in place. Place the springform pan on a sheet tray.
• In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar and salt. Cream on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides.
• Turn the mixer down to medium and add the condensed milk. Beat to combine, then scrape down the bowl. Add the heavy cream, fresh ginger, ground ginger, vanilla and minced lemon zest. Fully combine, then scrape down the sides.
• Turn the mixer to medium-high and add the eggs one at a time, being sure that each is fully combined before adding the next.
• Add the flour, then beat again, scraping down the sides.
• Pour the cheesecake into the center of the springform pan and tap it lightly on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate. Continue to bake until dark golden brown, another 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely set, 6 hours.
• Remove the cheesecake from the pan, then peel down the paper. (You can leave the paper in place for a rustic look.)
• Mix together the lemon curd, limoncello, sour cream, lemon juice and remaining lemon zest in a bowl.
• Pour evenly over the top of the cheesecake, then sprinkle with the powdered sugar and garnish with the basil. Cut into slices and serve.

LEMON CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and line with a strip of parchment paper.
• Using a rubber spatula, mix together the brownie mix, vegetable oil, egg and 1/3 cup water in a medium bowl until just combined. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, sugar and lemon zest. Pour half the brownie batter in the bottom of the prepared dish and spread evenly. Dollop half of the cheesecake mixture on top and swirl in. Continue with the remaining brownie batter and cheesecake mix.
• Bake until the brownie just barely jiggles and only a few crumbs come out on a toothpick inserted in the center, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely before refrigerating. Serve chilled.

LEMON DREAM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Press onto bottom and 2 in. up the inside of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cream, lemon juice, flour, lemon zest, extracts and, if desired, food coloring. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Return pan to baking sheet., Bake 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan.

DIANA'S FAVORITE LEMON MOUSSE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Combine crushed graham crackers, melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Press graham cracker crust in the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan coming up about 1-inch on the sides. Seal the outside of the pan with foil and set in a baking dish. Add water to the baking dish to come 1-inch up the sides. Bake crust for 10 minutes.
• Zest lemons until you have 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Place zest in a small bowl and set aside. Squeeze the lemons to acquire 3/4 cup lemon juice and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, with paddle, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg yolks, flour, lemon juice, and zest and beat until smooth.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Add remaining sugar to the egg whites and continue to whip until stiff peaks have formed. Fold the egg whites into the lemon batter. Pour batter into the crust. Bake cheesecake until set and golden, about 55 to 65 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool in the pan on a cooling rack, about 4 hours. Once cooled, refrigerate uncovered until chilled. Add pre-made Lemon Curd on top of cheesecake. Loosen sides with a cake spatula before unmolding and serve.
• Over medium heat whisk to combine yolks, zest, lemon juice and sugar in a 1 quart saucepan.
• Cook for approximately 8 minutes until the mixture thickens and looks smooth. Remove saucepan from heat and add butter, one piece at a time with a wooden spoon until it is fully incorporated. Pour mixture into a bowl and put plastic directly on top of mixture.
• Let cool on counter then refrigerate.

LEMON VERBENA GRANITA

Steps:

• Place a small metal tray into the freezer to chill. Put the lemon verbena, lemon zest, and sugar into the boiling water and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Add your ice cubes to bring the temperature down and then sieve the liquid into the cold metal tray (keep the lemon zest and verbena for later) and place in the freezer for about 2 hours. Mash with a fork, scratching up the ice, then freeze for a further 2 hours.
• To prepare the apple compote, put 2 tablespoons of sugar into a small pan and heat on a medium heat until it is syrupy and light caramel color. Finely chop the reserved lemon zest and lemon verbena and add to the caramel with the apple and lemon juice. Mix and cook for a couple of minutes.
• To serve, spoon a little compote into 4 small shot glasses, then a spoonful of creme fraiche, and finally top with the granita and a small sprig of lemon verbena.

LEMON CHEESECAKE WITH LEMON-ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the center position, without any racks above it.
• Place the cookies in a food processor; pulse to the texture of sand. Add the crushed cookies to a 10-inch springform pan and pour in the melted butter. Using your hands, mix together the cookie crumbs and butter until they are completely combined and hold together when pinched. Firmly press the cookie crust into the bottom of the pan. Press down on the crust with the bottom of a cup to ensure it is tightly packed.
• Bake the crust for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Remove from oven and let cool. When the pan is cool enough to handle, wrap it in foil three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan--this will prevent any water from getting into the cheesecake while it is baked in a water bath.
• For the cheesecake: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Slowly turn the mixer up to medium-high speed; continue to mix for 2 minutes, until the ingredients are completely combined and smooth.
• Set aside 1/4 cup of the lemon curd and reserve it for the topping. With a rubber spatula, fold the remaining lemon curd into the cheesecake mixture. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and spread it evenly, making sure to flatten the top. Gently tap the pan a few times on a flat surface to even out the mixture.
• Use the reserved lemon curd to make a fun design in the top of the cheesecake. For instance, you can dollop 15 small dots, about a heaping 1/2 teaspoon each, around the border of the cake and then 6 small dots towards the center of the cake and 1 dot directly in the center. Drag a skewer around the center of the first ring of dots to pull the lemon curd into a teardrop shape. Repeat with the interior circle of lemon curd drops.
• Place the foil-lined springform pan in a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still has a pudding-like jiggle. Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes before removing the pan from the water bath. Let the cheesecake sit another 30 minutes. While the cheesecake is still warm, run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan and then release the sides of the pan. (If you do this after the cheesecake has cooled completely, the cake may tear slightly.) Let the cheesecake cool completely before slicing and serving. Refrigerate any cheesecake not being served immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Lightly grease the foil and sides of the pan with butter.
• In a food processor, pulse the sugar with the lemon zest and rosemary until well combined. Remove 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture and reserve.
• Add the butter, vanilla and salt to the food processor with the sugar and pulse until combined. Add the flour, about 1 cup at a time, pulsing to combine after each addition. After the last addition, you may have to stir and scrape down the sides of the food processor to help incorporate all of the flour. Continue to pulse until the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out into the prepared baking pan and press it in evenly. Poke the dough all over with a fork and sprinkle it with the reserved sugar.
• Use a knife to cut the dough into approximately 3-by-1-inch rectangles (or whichever shape you prefer). Bake until golden brown at the edges and golden in the center, about 25 minutes. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a bench scraper or knife to re-cut the lines of the cookies. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cookies with the foil and cool completely on a rack.

LEMON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Crush the digestive biscuits in a food bag with a rolling pin or in the food processor. Melt the butter in a saucepan, take off heat and stir in the brown sugar and biscuit crumbs.
• Line the base of a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Press the biscuit into the bottom of the tin and chill in the fridge while making the topping.
• Beat together the mascarpone, caster sugar, lemon zest and juice, until smooth and creamy. Spread over the base and chill for a couple of hours.