sean l-o-v-e’s cheesecake, but i always find it such a process to make, i mean it takes days (not really, just hours) to chill and usually i don’t have that kind of time…so i made these cheesecake pots as a substitute and they seemed to suffice just fine, though they were pretty dense…next time i may fold in some whipped egg whites or something (ahem, suggestions…)
i think that lemon and cheesecake are perfect for one another, the tartness of the lemon really balances the richness and creaminess of cheesecake. plus, i am a fiend for lemon curd. i love to just eat a spoonful (albeit guiltily). it is everything i want in a lemon confection…so this lemon cream seemed like a natural, and let me tell you it is wonderful. tart, creamy, buttery and somewhat lighter than lemon curd.

anyway, i don’t really have much to say right now…or maybe i do have too much to say and can’t gather it all…so here are the recipes and for the tuiles, i followed this recipe (vanilla tuiles) i found on tartlette. enjoy!

cheesecake pots
like i said before, these were a bit denser than i had wanted, but delicious all the same. also, i used vanilla sugar…it isn’t necessary, i just had some.

1 bar of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. half and half
1/4 cup sugar
zest of one lemon
1 egg

preheat oven to 350 F.

beat cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment with lemon zest until creamy. add sour cream, half and half and sugar. blend well. add the egg and combine, scraping down bowl as needed.

pour mixture into ramekins (i used tea cups…i believe they are 4 oz. each and i used about 5) and bake in a water bath for 30 minutes, until centers only wiggle slightly. cool completely and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

lemon cream
found in baking: from my home to yours

1 cup sugar
grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (4-5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tbsp butter, cut into pieces at room temp.

makes about 2 1/2 cups

have an instant read thermometer, a strainer, a blender (preffered, but a food processor will work fine). bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

put sugar and zest in a medium-large heatproof bowl that can be set on top of saucepan of water. off the heat, rub zest into the suagr until the sugar is fragrant with lemon. whisk in eggs followed by lemon juice.

set the bowl over the pan of water and whisk constantly. cook until the temperature reaches 180 F being sure to whisk constantly. at first the mixture will be light and foamy, but as it heats more large bubble will appear and as it reaches 180 F, the whisk will leave tracks and the mixture will thicken. do not stop whisking or checking the temperature, be patient it could take as long as 10 minutes depending on how much heat is being given.

as soon as it reaches 180 F, remove from heat and strain into the blender. discard zest. let it cool at room temperature, stirring occaisionally, for about 10 minutes, or 140 F.

once it has cooled down, turn the blender on high and begin adding butter, 5 tbsp at a time, scraping sides as needed. once all of the butter is incorporated keep the machine running for another 3 minutes. this will ensure a light and creamy lemon cream.

pour the cream into a container and press plastic wrap onto the top. chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. stir before serving to loosen up.