Tuesday, December 30, 2008

TWD: Tall and Creamy Cheesecake..sort of

cheesecakelemon

This week's TWD.. I haven't said that in a while! was perfect in time for the holidays. It wasn't very tall because I halved the recipe and baked it in a 9x9 square pan, but it was very creamy! Instead of using the springform, I used a 9x9 square pan so I could bake it in a waterbath without having leakage problems. I totally forgot about the waterbath though so that totally defeated the purpose of not using springform. I was in a huge rush to bake it and have it properly chilled because I decided the morning of Christmas eve that I would bring it over for dinner after seeing Nancy from the Dogs Eat the Crumbs do her informative post for TWD (I love how she looks for other sources when she bakes). Luckily, cheesecake isn't one of those desserts where I have to worry about the crumb changing from soft and fluffy to dense and dry within a couple or hours and can be just thrown in the fridge without messing up the texture. I've tried storing regular cakes wrapped in plastic on the counter overnight, fridge and freezer, but everytime it changes for the worse so I have to make cakes fresh unless if it's chocolate, which actually improves in flavour overtime without sacrificing texture. The whole 'crumb getting even tighter' in the freezer thing doesn't seem to work for me and neither does wrapping the cake before it is completely cool to seal in the texture because that just turns the cake wet and heavy.

Anyway, back to the cheesecake that my family raved about.. I was so excited! I replaced a block of cream cheese with the low fat kind because full fat cheesecake is a little too rich. Cheesecakes are the only kind of dessert that doesn't stress me out because they always turn out delicious no matter which recipe you use.. maybe except for hyper low fat variations. After making cheesecakes with a handmixer, stand mixer and the food processor, I would have to say that the food processor is the quickest and always ensures the smoothest texture. There's barely any scraping involved too! Originally, I wasn't going to make a topping and just serve it plain, the way cheesecakes should be in my opinion, but when I opened the oven door, it looked like something hit it.. badly because there were cracks (huge ones) everywhere! I decided to cover it up with lemon curd instead of whipped cream because we didn't exactly need anymore cream. I don't think I've had real lemon curd before because this was amazing! If this is what the filling is supposed to taste like in lemon meringue pie, then I might actually love it. I love how with each addition of fat (butter then heavy cream), it just gets yummier and more luscious!

cheesecakelemon (2)

Thanks to Anne of Anne Strawberry for choosing this recipe, which can be found on her blog and in Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my Home to Yours. Don't forget to checkout the TWD Blogroll!

Lemon Curd
Cook's Illustrated

1/3 cup juice from 2 lemons
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
(I added 1/2 tsp of lemon zest for extra lemon flavour)

FOR THE LEMON CURD: While cheesecake bakes, heat lemon juice in small nonreactive saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Whisk eggs and yolk in medium nonreactive bowl; gradually whisk in sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot lemon juice into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to cling to spoon, about 3 minutes. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in cold butter until incorporated; stir in cream, vanilla, and salt, then pour curd through fine-mesh strainer into small nonreactive bowl. Cover surface of curd directly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until needed.

35 comments:

  1. Whoa, I totally want a slice of that. Putting lemon curd on top is just inspired, maybe because my favorite cheesecake has lemon curd swirled throughout it :) Beautiful job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks great! I am glad that it was a big hit! This was my first cheesecake, and I was surprised by how relatively easy it came together. The lemon curd is a great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh wow lemon curd on top sounds wonderful! What a great idea!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oooo that looks really yummy, great job!

    ReplyDelete
  5. mmmmmm it looks so creamy and good! my mom loves lemony things and cheesecake, so i think i'll make that for her sometime!

    what a lucky family!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Combining lemon curd with this cheesecake must be the best thing I ever heard of!! We also loved this cheexscecak!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. this looks great. I m not good at making cheesecake perhaps cause i don't like them much. This looks so creamy and the addition of lemon curd think its a great choice :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the idea of using lemon curd! Yours came out great!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This sounds really good, I love the addition of lemon curd. I once saw a recipe somewhere that swirled lemon curd over the top of the batter before baking.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oooh, that sounds awesome with the lemon curd. Good recovery!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love that you made it in a square pan. Then you could serve more people. Yummy lemon curd! Looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Look what I'm learning from you:
    1. cheesecake can be fantastic baked in a square pan
    2. lemon curd on cheesecake is an inspired addition!
    I love, love, love lemon curd on gingerbread, and now will have to try it with cheesecake. Thanks for providing the recipe. Good job!!
    Nancy

    ReplyDelete
  13. I usually sneak lemon in my cheesecake somehow because it's just that good. I'd love a slice of your cheesecake right now.

    ReplyDelete
  14. That looks wonderful! I love the idea of adding the lemon curd and I'm dying for a piece. Happy new year!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love lemon curd and it is a perfect topping for cheesecake. I read somewhere the the water bath prevents the cracks in the top, but I haven't tried it myself.

    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  16. OH MAN, lemon curd...that sounds delicious!!!! Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love love love lemon curd. Looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love lemon curd! This sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I am so glad to know that this worked. This is what I wanted to do the next time. Your cheesecake looks wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I want a piece! It looks divine!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm blogging about mine right now, but I wish I scaled mine down to a 9x9 pan!! The full recipe made way too much if you don't have the specific pan Dorie used with deep sides. I made mine plain, but next time I would consider using lemon curd!

    BTW did you end up going to GC for Boxing Day?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Lemon curd cures all ills. Mine cracked terribly too, but still tasted wonderful. Great idea on the low and creamy bars. Looks tasty.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm in total agreement with everyone else on the lemon curd! It look divine. I only used lowfat cream cheese and lowfat sour cream and I really liked the way it turned out. My family really enjoyed it, too. Best of all, there was no way anyone was guessing it was lower in fat!

    ReplyDelete
  24. No, I didn't buy a new camera. It's going to be awhile before I do because I don't have the money right now. And yes, the winds were very strong. My dad sorta lost control for a second because of them. For the FB agreement, you can either scan it and attach to an email, fax, or mail it. Scanning is the easiest.

    Have a good New Year's! I'm probably just staying home with my family. You have any plans?

    ReplyDelete
  25. That's great that it was well loved. Your version sounds tasty!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Lemon curd sounds delicious. I love the square cheesecake.

    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Lemon curd?!? I love the CI lemon curd recipe (I make the CI lemon squares, and they're amazing). I bet it was outrageous with cheesecake. Way to go!

    ReplyDelete
  28. it looks so yummy, especially with the lemon curd!!
    happy new year :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. I think the shape of your cheesecake is so unique. And it looks so delicious! What a great idea to use the lemon curd.

    ReplyDelete
  30. You are so inventive and its great you aren't afraid to "do it your way" because isn't that what its all about? Wow, you are so smart! I love the lemon curd on top and it really is such a great compliment to the cheesecake. I use lemon curd as a filling in cakes a lot. Really delish on lots of stuff. Great job.
    AmyRuth

    ReplyDelete
  31. what a great idea to serve cheesecake w/ lemon curd! lovesit.

    about your cake problem... i always add meringue powder to mine. i read about your love of chiffon cakes, and i would recommend only 2 tsp or so for that cake method, but b/c i like my cakes extra soft and somewhat dense, i usually use 1-2 Tbsp of the stuff. works like a charm. ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  32. the meringue powder doesn't really soften cakes ~ nor does it really toughen them, LOL... idk, it seems to make them more impervious somehow. they tend to absorb and/or lose moisture less easily (making them fridge, shelf, and freezer stable). additionally, for rich, buttery cakes or muffins the powder makes them easier to work with and less crumbly but doesn't sacrifice softness. basically, it allows each recipe to be the best of all worlds. i would have to go to McGee on why and how this works exactly, though i am sure it has something to do w/ the protein content of the egg albumen.

    about the muffins ~ i think if you are looking for an extra lift plus the addition of "protein power", LOL, then a classic meringue would work just fine, maybe w/ a little meringue powder for extra stiffness in the whites. if, on the other hand, you like the height of the muffins ok but just want to add a firmer texture, save yourself the time/dishes and just add a bit of the powder to your recipe.

    also, this sounds weird, but you can add a touch of cornmeal to an uber-buttery cupcake/muffin recipe (just be sure to remove the appropriate amt of flour from the recipe) and it will help w/ the richness.

    reading your blog makes me itch to bake ~ all the more frustrating that i don't have a working oven, LOL. anyway, if you want to KIT my email is chefkayce@gmail.com. :)) ttyl.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Steph,
    Love the "sort of", and you gotta love lemon curd. I think I could eat it every day.
    I have an award for you, stop by and pick it up.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails