Lemon-Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

In the Spring 2010 Food and Drink from the LCBO has so many great recipes in it. It was hard to choose which one to make first. Finally, I choose the Lemon-Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. I did not use the lemon tea biscuits, used graham cracker crumbs. These cupcakes are so good. The tart of the lemon curd with the cheesecake is a perfect match.

Lemon-Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 package Dare Simple Pleasures Lemon Social Tea Biscuits (make graham cracker crust)
3 tbsp. butter, melted
2 pkgs. cream cheese
1/2 cup extra fruit strawberry jam
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup lemon curd (recipe to follow)
6 perfect fresh strawberries

Directions:

Preheat over 375º

Line muffin tins with papers.

Place eggs in a small bowl; cover with hot tap water to temper. Set aside.

To prepare the tea biscuits; place in food processor and whirl until fine crumbs, makes about 1 cup.

Add melted butter until evenly coated.

Dividing equally into muffin tin, firmly press crumbs into bottoms of cups.
(Prepare graham cracker crust)

Wipe out food processor bowl.

Add cream cheese, eggs, jam, sugar and vanilla; whirl until combined.

Spoon batter into cups, fill to top.

Bake 20 minutes or until just set.

Cool on a rack.

Cover and store in frig until chilled.

To serve, top each with a dollop of lemon curd.

Slice a berry and place onto of lemon curd.

Makes 18 cupcakes

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

4 lemons
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter

Directions:

Squeeze 4 lemons to 3/4 cup juice.

Stir eggs with 1 cup sugar in small sauce pan.

whisk in juice

Add softened butter.

Whisk constantly over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture darkens and thickens.

Do not boil.!

Remove from heat; place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd.

Cool until barely warm.

cover and refrigerate for a week or more, can be frozen for months.

Makes 2 cups.

Sharon's Cheese Cake

This recipe for a Cherry Cheese Cake came from a friend of mine. It is not a cooked cheese cake. I love it. You can put whatever fruit you like on top. I like the cherry the best.

Sharon's Cheese Cake

Base:

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Reserve about 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top. With the remaining press into 9 X 13 baking pan. Set aside.

Filling:

1 large cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 pkg. dream whip, made according to directions
(I use cool whip small container or about 1/2 a large one.)
I can cherry pie fill

Directions:

Cream 1/4 cup sugar and cream cheese together until smooth. If you use dream whip, prepare as directed and fold into cream cheese mixture. With the cool whip you also will fold into cheese mixture. I have made it both ways and like both. Then top with cherry pie fill and sprinkle with reserved crumb crust. Set in frig to chill and serve. This is a very nice summer dessert.

Minted Blackberry Cheesecake

I bought the Gourmet August 2008 issue. On the cover was a cheesecake with black berries. We went to Taylor Farm in Dundas, Ontario, to buy wild blue berries and they had black berries so we decided to try the cheesecake. Dan found a recipe for a light as a cloud cheesecake, it was ok. I think if you made the cheesecake in the gourmet recipe it would be much better. I will put up the light as a cloud recipe as well for you if you would like to try it. We did not use the mint as I do not like it. Also added 4 tbsp. sugar to the berries.

For Crust

3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped

For Filling

3 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup half and half
3 large eggs

Make Crust:

Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack in middle. We used a 8" high top spring form pan with the removable buttom.

Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add flour and almonds, mixing until combined and dough begins to clump together.

Press onto bottom of baking pan with floured fingers.

Bake just until a shade darker and edges begin to pull away from pan, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan.

Make filling and bake:
Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF.

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and flour with cleaned beaters at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add half-and-half, then eggs 1 at a time, mixing until incorporated. Pour filling into crust.

Bake in a hot water bath until set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 40 to 45 minutes. (Center will set as it cools.) Transfer pan to a rack and cool completely, about 2 hours. Chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours.

Cheesecake can be chilled (loosely covered once cold) up to 3 days.

Minted Blackberries

3 cups blackberries
4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp chopped mint
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl or airtight container and let macerate at room temperature 30 minutes.

Blackberries can be chilled (after macerating) up to 2 hours.

Once cheesecake is cooled remove from pan and slice, place on plate and add the blackberries on top and drizzle the blackberry juice over the top.

This is the recipe we used for the cheesecake

Light as a cloud Cheesecake

(8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until soft. Add sugar and flour and beat until thoroughly blended. Stir in egg yolks, sour cream, cream, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until frothy, then add powdered sugar and beat to form stiff peaks. Fold the whites into cheese mixture and pour into crust. Bake for 45 minutes, or until center is set.
Cool, then chill before serving.