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.
Angry Asian
i adore your blog. i don’t really do cheesecake so i don’t have any suggestions for you, sorry. but maybe instead of using sour cream, use yogurt. i’ve used both interchangeably. just a thought.
Sophie
MMMMMMMMM….Well done!! It all looks really appetizing!! I love it!!
oneordinaryday
This all looks gorgeous. What a beautiful presentation. Now to get my hands on some Meyer lemons.
Michelle
http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/
Holler
Looks lovely just the same! I use:
600ml double cream, lightly whipped
500g mascarpone
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 2 lemons
2 tbsp icing sugar
for my lemon cheesecake. You could always lighten it up though. I think the mascarpone makes for a softer cheesecake.
once in a blue moon...
it looks wonderful and just the right size~
Deborah
I love lemon and love cheesecake – I think I’d love this!
Sara
I just love meyer lemons, I am very lucky that I have a tree in my yard! This looks delicious.
T.Allen-Mercado
Hmm lighter? Perhaps mascarpone or ricotta instead of cream cheese or substitute 1/3 of it with the other cheeses. I love the presentation, it all looks delicious.
Elyse
cindy, these look totally fabulous. i’m sure sean was in heaven! if you wanted to lighten up the little cheesecakes, you might try subbing whipped cream for the sour cream–folding that into the mixture. oh man, i wish i could share a little pot of cheesecake with you right now! what a perfect spring treat!
ysha
I found this entry via tastespotting and couldn’t resist trying your recipes. The cheesecake with the lemon cream was a definite hit with the menfolk around here. Thanks!
Sophie
I have never made cheesecake :O! My hubby is also a fan though :). You did a lovely job on the tuiles!
Me!
that looks delicious. I’ve been wanting to make cheesecake for a while now and you may have inspired me to actually do it. To lighten it up I would make sure your cream cheese is completely at room temp (leave it out the night before you are going to make it) though I never actually do it. I would also up the sour cream and/or the half and half to get it lighter. Yogurt might be another alternative that will give it a little tang too.
Donna-FFW
Lemon and cheesecake , delicious, you can not go wrong with this combo!!
Ingrid
Mmmmmmm, those sounds heavenly! I love lemon desserts and cheesecakes so this a twofer.
Your photos are gorgeous!
~ingrid
Ivy
These are awesome. So soft and dainty. 🙂
Anna
Wow. Beautiful job. I can practically smell the zest…
Sean Rahe
I think I have 3 or 4 of these delicious little guys. I was quite literally scraping the bottom of my dish. Thank you for making me delicious treats. <3!
Kevin
Those cheesecake pots look so good!