Lemon Curd Cheesecake
A crust of biscoff cookies, the tang of lemon, the zing of raspberries and the ceaminess of butter and cream cheese - this dessert is a Champion Cheesecake!
Birthdays meant not only gifts in our family but also the honoree’s favorite dessert - or meal for that matter. Those foodies among us (which included everyone) looked forward to the requested dessert with equal anticipation of the gifts - in fact, the ultimate gift!
For one it was strawberry shortcake, another, raw sugar cookie dough, another……not a mundane cake among them! My request was cheesecake. But not just any cheesecake. No New York style or No-Bake for me, rather the smoother creamy style, the consistency of a panna cotta or creme brulee. I call it Velvet cheesecake or Mom’s!
Which came first, the lemon or the cheese…the tree or the cow? What a story it must have been of how the lemon, sugar and cream met…when the egg was first admitted into their society. Or when the first flicker of inspiration in an anonymous mind thought to introduce them to one another.
Ingenuity be praised as it is this recipe - a perfect harmony of flavors, the raspberries just popping in to leave a greeting, that is one of the best!
No graham crackers for the crust? No problem as ingenuity will supply. While living in the middle east no such cracker was to be found. But cookies must be universal and I delighted in discovering the textures and flavors that did the trick in the crust of my cheesecakes. In fact, even today, back in the land of the graham, I favor cookie crusts, sometimes vanilla wafers, sometimes more of a shortbread cookie.
Now the cream cheese was a different problem. Philadephia was so far away and finding a substitute required the “grand marche”. We owe our survival of our Mid-East sojourn of many years to a friend who discovered an obscure soft cheese that resembled Philadelphia’s in texture and taste. Thank you …..and Danish Dairy! This lemon version is a showstopper - be sure to give it a try!
Lemon Curd Cheesecake
2 1/2 cups crushed biscoff or windmill cookies
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 packages (8 ouches each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sour cream
FOR LEMON CURD
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
whipped cream mixed with 1/4 cup lemon curd
1 cup fresh raspberries
-Combine cookie crumbs and butter then press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a lightly greased 9-inch springform pan.
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat on low speed just until combined. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
-Smooth the top of the filling and spoon 1 cup of lemon curd in 6 - 8 dollops over the top of the filling. Then with a knife or spatula, swirl the curd into the cheesecake batter, 4 - 5 times. You want to be able to see the swirls in the other batter so do not blend curd completely into the filling.
-Place the pan on a baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until the center is almost set. Give the pan a jiggle - the center should still wiggle but will set up to a soft smooth consistency as the cheesecake cools.
-Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen cake and remove the ring. Allow to cool 1 hour longer. Place in the fridge to chill for several hours or overnight.
-About 1 hour before serving decorate the top of the cheesecake with dollops of lemon whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Keep chilled until ready to serve or let sit out 15 minutes before serving.
FOR THE LEMON CURD:
-In a small saucepan, combine sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and eggs. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk, until the first bubble appears on the surface of the mixture and the curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk, about 6 - 8 minutes.
-Transfer the hot lemon curd to a bowl or jar and cover the surface with plastic wrap. (or if you don’t like the lemon zest in the curd, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to get rid of the zest.) Refrigerate until cold. The curd can be made ahead and kept chilled for up to a week.
Press cookie crumb and butter crust into base and up sides of springform pan.
Swirl Lemon Curd into cheesecake batter so you can still see the swirls.
Tangy swirls of lemon curd are visible in the cooked cheesecake.
Garnish with dollops of lemon whipped cream, raspberries and dried rose petals (just for fun)!
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
-Store-purchased lemon curd works well in this recipe when you would rather not make your own. Dickinsons or Bonne Maman are good brands.
-For lemon whipped cream, beat fresh heavy or whipping cream until stiff peaks form and then gently blend in 1/4 cup lemon curd with a wire whisk. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
-Do not overbeat the cheesecake ingredients, just until well blended.
-Another good choice for the cookie crusts are gingersnaps crushed or a combination of biscoff and gingersnaps if you prefer a milder ginger taste.
-To make round clean “dollops” of cream to garnish your cake, use scoops of various sizes. They create a neat, attractive presentation.
-For edible dried flower petals, here’s a fun collection: https://www.amazon.com/PEPPERLONELY-Certified-Botanical-Lavender-Chamomile/dp/B07J5X9GZH/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=edible+dried+flower+petals&qid=1655126600&s=arts-crafts&sr=1-6
