My son-in-law loves lemon, so I thought I would do something that he would really love. I was in the mood for some cheesecake bites and thought I would create a lemon with more lemon cheesecake. It would be a two-layer cheesecake. The bottom on top of the crust would be a smooth lemon cheesecake, then a layer of lemon curd on top. I make my own lemon curd.
You can jump to the recipe here. I strain mine, so it is silky smooth and has the perfect punch of lemon for any lemon lover. The thickness of the layer of lemon curd on top will determine the strength of the lemon taste.
The lemon curd needs to cook at a slow rate, so your eggs do not scramble, but even if you do end up with some, the straining will eliminate them and clumps of lemon zest and leave you with a pure lemon punch of color and flavor.
I also recommend using Pamela's Honey Graham Crackers. They are dense and make a fantastic crust. When you bake them and then refrigerate them overnight, they become solid. Then when you cut the cheesecake into squares, you can pick them up and eat them just like you would a cookie. I really hope you enjoy these lemon cheesecake bites, and please let me know in the comments.
Lemon Cheesecake Bites with Lemon Curd Topping
Barbara Hall
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 box Pamela's Honey Graham crackers
- ⅓ cup melted Butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon Sugar white
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 16 oz Cream Cheese 2 bars
- ¼ cup Sugar white
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla bean paste
- ⅓ cup Lemon juice 2 lemons
- 1 heaping tablespoon Lemon zest 2 lemons
Instructions
LEMON CURD
- I make the Lemon Curd the day before, so it is cold and set when I make the Lemon Cheesecake. The recipe is a link in the ingredients list; click on Lemon Curd, and it will take you to the recipe. There is also a link in the direction that will take you to the recipe.
CRUST
- In a food processor, pulse the whole package of Pamela's Honey Graham Crackers. These are the best graham cracker for creating cheesecake bites that you can pick up and eat without a fork. After pulsing them, pour them into a big bowl and add the sugar. Whisk it through before adding the melted butter. Next, I take a fork and fold the butter through all the crackers till the crackers are moist from the butter.
- Line an 8X8 baking dish with tin foil (make sure it comes up on all sides of the baking dish). You don't want the cheesecake mixture to run down behind the tin foil. Pour the graham cracker mixture onto the tin foil and evenly press down to cover the whole bottom of the baking dish. Set the baking dish aside.
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- Preheat oven to 325° Zest the two lemons, so you have a heaping tablespoon of lemon zest. Then juice both lemons into another bowl to get ⅓ cup of lemon juice and set both the dishes aside. In a stand or hand-held mixer, mix the cream cheese and the sugar till the sugar is incorporated (about 2 minutes on medium speed). Add one egg at a time. Then add the condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the vanilla bean paste and blend thoroughly. The mixture will be on the thin side, but it thickens while it bakes. Pour the mixture over the crust and shake it gently to let any air bubbles come to the top.
- Bake at 325° for 40 minutes. To test for doneness, give it a slight jiggle, and there should be minimal movement. Let it cool for about half an hour, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day take it out of the refrigerator, and you will notice there is a slight ridge around the edge of the top of the cheesecake. Take the jar of lemon curd and spread a layer all around except for ¼" from the edge the whole way around. Cover it back up and let it bond for an hour in the refrigerator.
- When you are ready to cut up and serve, grab the tinfoil edges to lift the whole thing out of the pan. The tinfoil comes off easily. I lift one side up a little and pull the tinfoil away from the bottom crust. Cut the cheesecake bites into whatever size squares you like. Have any lemon curd leftover out with a spoon in case they come for more. Keep refrigerated after you cut the cheesecake into squares.
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