Lemon Cheesecake With Gingersnap Crust And Berry Topping Recipes

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir cookie crumbs and butter in medium bowl until evenly moistened. Press mixture onto bottom of 9-inch-diameter removable-bottom cheesecake pan with 3-inch-high sides. Bake crust until deep golden, about 12 minutes. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Stack 3 large sheets of foil on work surface. Place same cake pan in center. Gather foil snugly around pan bottom and up sides to waterproof.
• For filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar, then salt. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in sour cream, grated lemon peel, and lemon juice. Pour filling into pan.
• Place wrapped cake pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake cake until filling is slightly puffed and moves only slightly when pan is shaken gently, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Remove cake pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cake in pan on rack 2 hours. Chill uncovered until cold; cover and keep chilled at least 1 day and up to 2 days.
• Cut around pan sides; carefully loosen pan bottom from sides and push up pan bottom to release cake. Place cake (still on pan bottom) on platter. Garnish with lemon leaves or twists.
• Test-kitchen tips
• The pan: It must be three inches high to hold all the filling. If your nine-inch springform pan is that high, it can be used instead. The cream cheese: For best results, use Philadelphia brand. The crust: Grind the gingersnaps in the processor or place them in a heavy-duty plastic bag and finely crush them with a rolling pin.

Steps:

• For the gingersnap cookie crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the gingersnap crumbs in a large bowl and drizzle half of the melted butter all over. Using your hand or a silicone spatula, mix thoroughly. Add more butter a little at a time until you can make a fist with the crumbs that retains its shape but is easily broken (not too dry, and not too wet).
• Press the crumbs tightly into a 9-inch pie plate. A deep pie plate is much more suited to this task.
• Bake until the crust feels quite firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
• For the pumpkin filling: Whisk together the milk, brown sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, whisking constantly.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually add half of the hot milk mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until thick, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the pumpkin puree and salt. Pour into the pie shell and chill until set, 2 to 3 hours.
• For the rum cheesecake topping: Cream together the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cream, rum extract, egg, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla bean seeds. Mix until well combined. Use a silicone spatula to fill a pastry piping bag with the filling. Cut off the tip.
• Pipe the cheesecake over the pumpkin filling, minding not to get too close to the crumb crust. Use a spatula to smooth out the topping to just meet the crust edge, being careful not to drag crumbs over the surface. Bake until the top is glossy and the center still wiggles, about 45 minutes.

Steps:

• LEMON CURD (makes about 1 cup).
• In small cup, sprinkle gelatin over water. Allow to soften 10 minutes.
• In processor, mince lemon peel with sugar until lemon peel is as fine as sugar. Transfer to heavy small saucepan.
• Add in lemon juice and yolks, then butter; mix.
• Stir over medium heat until very thick, about 5 minutes; do not boil.
• Transfer to bowl. Add gelatin and stir to dissolve.
• Cool completely, stirring frequently, about 1 hour.
• CRUST.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees farenheit.
• Lightly oil 9-inch-diameter springform pan.
• Add vanilla wafers and gingersnaps with sugar and lemon peel to food processor and finely grind. Add butter and blend well.
• Make bottom crust by sprinkling crumbs over the bottom of pan and pressing down.
• Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool.
• FILLING.
• In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; allow to stand 10 minutes to soften.
• In processor, mince lemon peel and ginger with sugar and salt until lemon peel and ginger are the consistency of sugar.
• Add yolks and blend until light and fluffy.
• In heavy medium saucepan, scald milk.
• With processor running, add milk through feed tube and blend well.
• Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture thickens, about 12 minutes; mixture should leave path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across; do not boil.
• Add gelatin mixture to custard and stir until dissolved.
• Strain into bowl, pressing on solids with back of spoon.
• Refrigerate until thickened but not set, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.
• Add cream cheese and lemon juice to processor and blend until smooth. Add custard and blend until smooth. Transfer to large bowl.
• In medium bowl, whip cream until it forms soft peaks. Gently fold into filling.
• Pour half of filling over crust. Using a tablespoonfuls, spoon half of curd over filling. Swirl mixtures together using tip of knife.Pour remaining filling over.
• Using tablespoonfuls, spoon remaining curd over. Swirl mixtures together using tip of knife.
• Refrigerate cheesecake at least 4 hours or overnight.
• After running a knife around sides of cake, release pan sides.
• Garnish with mint.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside of 9-inch springform pan with foil to prevent leaking. Spray inside bottom and side of pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press crust mixture on bottom of pan. Bake crust 5 to 7 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes at room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. On low speed, beat in cream, lemon juice and lemon peel. Pour over crust.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Run small metal spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Loosely cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight before serving.
• Just before serving, run small metal spatula around edge of pan; carefully remove side of pan. In chilled small bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar on high speed until soft peaks form. Spoon onto cheesecake. Top with berries and lemon twists.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 9 inch springform pan. Cut an 18 inch square of aluminum foil, and wrap around the outside bottom of the pan.
• To make the crust, mix the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar together in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter until thoroughly blended. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool on a rack.
• To make the filling, place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl; beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Continue beating while gradually adding 1 cup sugar. Beat until sugar is thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and sour cream until well blended.
• Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Continue beating while gradually adding 1/3 cup sugar in a slow stream, until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat. Gently fold 1/3 of the meringue into the cream cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with remaining meringue, mixing carefully to not deflate the egg whites, until no meringue streaks remain. Pour the filling into the prepared pan, and place in a large baking pan. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the baking pan up to 1 inch on the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until the top is almost set, 50-55 minutes. Turn off the heat, prop the oven door open about 2 inches, and allow cake to rest in the oven until completely set, about 1 hour longer. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight before serving.
• To make the topping, place 1 cup blueberries and sugar in a saucepan; cook over medium heat until berries begin to break, 6-8 minutes. While still hot, strain the berries through a sieve or cheesecloth placed over a bowl, reserving the juice. Discard berry pulp. Allow the juice to cool.
• Mix remaining 2 cups blueberries and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Stir in the strained blueberry juice. Just before serving, pour the blueberry topping over the cheesecake.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 to start. You will turn it down to 350 after 15 minutes.
• Position your oven rack to center.
• Butter the bottom of 9 inch springform pan.
• NOTE: Your ingredients should be room temperature.
• Crust:.
• In a small bowl, combine softened butter with crumbs and sugar (first 3 ingredients). Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside or if you want, you can bake this for about 10 minutes to give it a brown crust.
• Filling:.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese on low until very smooth. Gradually add the sugar beat well. Add the eggs one at a time (blending well after each egg). Scrape down sides of bowl when neccessary (turn off machine when doing this or you'll have batter on your ceiling). Stir in the lime juice and zest until well combined. Then stir in the sour cream and mix thoroughly until light and fluffy. You need to have some air in the batter, which gives it a fluffy texture.
• Wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foiland then pour batter into prepared pan . Set the pan in a 1 inch water bath. (place pan in larger baking pan and add just 1 " of water to bottom pan) Bake for 15 minutes at 400 THEN reduce to 350 and DO NOT OPEN DOOR! Bake until edges are set and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 50-60 minutes. During last 10 minutes open to GENTLY shake to see if slightly set.
• LEAVE OVEN DOOR OPEN SLIGHLY and turn off the heat while cooling the cake in the oven for about 1 hour. Cover in platic wrap and refrigerate over night to completely set about 6-8 hours.
• To serve:.
• About 20 minutes prior to serving, remove from refrigerator and garnish with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and thin slices of lime on the edges.
• NOTE: If your cake cracked - it's ok you can add cherry topping or lemon curd on top and then sprinkle powdered sugar on top. No worries, it's happened to me a few times too but didn't fail to disappear quickly! :).