Meyer Lemon Cheesecake With Creamy Lemon Curd Food

MEYER LEMON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325F.
• For the crust, in a food processor, pulse the cookies until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and pulse a few times to incorporate. With the motor still running, slowly pour in the melted butter. Pulse until the mixture is damp and resembles wet sand. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan and use a ramekin or small cup to press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until fragrant and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool. When cool, line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil. Set on top of a baking sheet.
• While the crust is cooling, making the filling. In a food processor, process ¼ cup of the sugar with the lemon zest until the sugar is yellow, about 15 seconds. Pour into a bowl and stir together with the remaining sugar.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on low to break up slightly, about 5 seconds. Add in the lemon sugar mixture with the mixer running on low. Increase the speed to medium and beat until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the eggs, two at a time, mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add in the lemon juice, vanilla, and salt, mixing until combined. Add in the heavy cream and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give the batter a final stir to combine.
• Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the edges are puffed out and the center jiggles only slightly. Turn off the oven and stick a wooden spoon in the door to prop it open, leaving the cheesecake inside. Allow to cool like this for at least an hour. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely to room temperature.
• While the cheesecake bakes and cools, make the meyer lemon curd. Heat the lemon juice in a small, nonreactive saucepan until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot lemon juice into the egg-sugar mixture. Return to the saucepan and cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cold butter, heavy cream, and salt. Pour onto the top of the cheesecake and spread evenly.
• Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours before serving.

MEYER LEMON MERINGUE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan.
• For the crust, stir the graham crumbs, sugar and melted butter together in a bowl until combined and press this into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes (no change in colour to note) and cool completely on a rack before filling.
• For the cheesecake, lower the oven temperature to 300 ºF (150 ºC). Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the condensed milk, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl well. Beat in the zest and vanilla, then on a lower speed; beat in each egg and the yolk one at a time. Still on low speed, beat in the lemon juice. Pour this over the cooled crust and bake for about 45 minutes, until the outside of the cheesecake is set, but the centre still has a little jiggle to it. Prepare the lemon curd as the cheesecake cools.
• For the curd, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a metal bowl. Whisk in the butter and sour cream and place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, whisking often, until the lemon curd has thickened (but it will still be fluid), about 10 minutes. Strain the curd and spread this gently over the cheesecake. Once fully cooled to room temperature, chill the cheesecake for at least 6 hours (do not cover with plastic wrap).
• For the topping, whisk the egg whites and sugar in a metal bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water until frothy and very warm to touch (165 F if using a thermometer). Use electric beaters or transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until the meringue has cooled and holds a stiff peak when the beaters are lifted. Use a butane kitchen torch to brown the meringue or pop it into a 400 ºF (200 ºC) oven for 3-4 minutes to brown and then cool before refrigerating.

CHEESECAKE WITH MEYER LEMON-GINGER CURD

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pulse the graham crackers and butter cookies in a food processor until finely ground; drizzle in the melted butter and pulse to combine. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and about 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
• Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and slightly fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Pour the batter into the prepared crust. Transfer to the oven and bake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and keep the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar, 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen. Transfer to a rack; let cool completely, then refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Make the lemon curd: Finely grate the ginger; put in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and press with a rubber spatula to extract the juice.
• Whisk the eggs, sugar and cream in a small nonreactive saucepan until combined. Add the lemon juice and ginger juice and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbly, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing it through with a rubber spatula; let cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Spread the curd over the cheesecake and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Remove the springform ring and slice. Serve with strawberries.

MEYER LEMON CAKE WITH LEMON-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Cake: Grease bottom, sides and center tube of a 9 or 10-inch fixed bottom tube pan with at least 3 3/4-inch high sides. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper or parchment; grease the paper.
• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowel; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 2 minutes.
• On low speed, beat in 1 cup oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until blended.
• Blend in flour mixture; when incorporated, mix in sour cream until no white streaks remain.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake on center oven rack until top feels firm and toothpick comes out clean. about 65 minutes.
• Let cake rest in pan for 15 minutes, then run knife around edge of cake and tube in center.
• Invert cake onto wire rack.
• Leave cake bottom side up to cool.
• Frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low speed to beat butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, zest and vanilla until smooth.
• Beat in sugar until frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Frost cake: Cake can be covered and stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Serve cold or at room temperature.

NO BAKE LEMON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl blend cream cheese & sweetened condensed milk until creamy and smooth. Add lemon juice and vanilla and blend well. Mixture should thicken. Pour mixture into a prepared graham cracker crust. Top with 1/2 - 3/4 of lemon curd mixture Chill for 2 hours or overnight. Personally we found it slices best if frozen for 2 hours - overnight. Refrigerated pie is soft, pie from freezer slices perfectly as shown in photo. Pie doesn't actually freeze or need to be thawed. Slice and enjoy with a scoop of homemade whipped cream.