Lemon Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts. Cheesecake throughout most of my childhood were the boxed, no bake mixes. At the time, I thought they were to die for. Then, as I got older, I was exposed to REAL cheesecake. One of my mom's co-workers made delicious cakes, and I'll never forget the Valentine's Day when my mom brought one home for my sister & I!

Since then, I've enjoyed making one when I know people will appreciate them. (My husband enjoys them, but due to lactose intolerance, I'm the one eating most of my cheesecake!) This one takes a bit of work with the 3 layers, but I would definitely make it again. It was so light & refreshing!




LEMON CHEESECAKE (Adapted from Chowhound and Food.com)

Crust:
2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (Approximately 2 packages of graham crackers)
6 tablespoons butter; melted
1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine crust ingredients thoroughly. Press crust evenly onto bottom and sides of buttered 10 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Cover pan with aluminum foil.

Filling:
3 8 ounce packages cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Beat cream cheese until soft. Add sugar, and beat until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon juice, rind, vanilla and lemon extract. Pour into pan with crust, and place pan in a water bath. Bake 50-60 minutes.

Topping:
2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together sour cream and remaining sugar and vanilla. Gently spread sour cream mixture over top of cake. Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes. Turn oven off and cool cheesecake in oven with door propped open for 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven and cool completely on wire rack.

Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Yellow gel food coloring (optional)

Combine all glaze ingredients and blend until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened (3 minutes). Chill until cool, but not set. Spread on top of cheesecake.

Chill overnight.

ENJOY!

Lemon Cranberry Muffins

With a few left over cranberries in the fridge during the holiday season, I wanted to find a way to incorporate them into a warm winter breakfast. I knew waffles would be a no-go (My blueberry waffles turned out wonderfully this summer, but whole fruits/berries in Belgium waffle makers makes a mess, and the waffles are difficult to get out). My next thought was muffins, and I had everything I needed to make them.

The lemon & cranberry combination works well together in these muffins. The cranberries are quite tart, but the muffin itself is just sweet enough to counteract the tartness. They store well in a tupperware for a couple days, making them a great Sunday breakfast, with leftovers to eat the next few mornings. (And they're easy to bring with on the commute to work when you're running behind... Not that I ever get a late start on these early, dark mornings...)



LEMON CRANBERRY MUFFINS (Adapted from Food Republik)
Makes approximately 14-16 muffins

1 - 6oz container of lemon yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
pinch salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 cup oil
2 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix the yogurt, sugar, salt, eggs and lemon extract together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir together until moistened.

Add oil and mix until batter is smooth and homogeneous. Fold in cranberries.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean.

ENJOY!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I hate to admit this, but the follow recipe uses a cake mix... (GASP!) I was hosting a girls night for a bachelorette celebration, and in addition to making cookies, I wanted to make some beautiful pink cupcakes, but wanted something quick & easy. These have a nice refreshing flavor to enjoy in the summer. These were still amazing, and everyone loved them - helping themselves to seconds later in the night. I think this may be a great starter to an orange creamsicle cupcake...



PINK LEMONADE CUPCAKES (From Confections of a Foodie Bride)

1 1/8 cup (9 oz) frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate, thawed
White cake mix
3 egg whites

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Non-stick spray

Food Color (red or pink)

In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, dye and the pink lemonade concentrate. Mix on low for about 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed for 90 seconds (the batter will still be a bit lumpy; take care not to overmix so you don’t end up with dry cupcakes).

Spray each cupcake liner with the non-stick spray and spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (fill the cups between 2/3 and 3/4 full).

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a baking rack.

LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

7 cups confectioners sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tsp lemon extract
Food color

Add the butter, confectioners sugar, salt, lemon juice, and food coloring (if using) to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the icing is fluffy and uniformly pink. Add the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip and ice the cupcakes.

ENJOY!

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Lemon Meringue Pie is one of my hubby's favorite two favorite desserts. (It may have been how I won him over in the first place!) I wanted to make a version of the pie that is easier to share, and this recipe definitely fits the bill. Plus, cupcakes have been my "thing" for the past year or two, so I was especially excited to try this recipe out. I got the recipe from Martha Stewart's webpage, but I adapted the recipe slightly so I didn't have to buy too many groceries, or let things go to waste.

I was also excited to try out these cupcakes to try out one of my newest kitchen toys - a torch! And not any little old kitchen torch, I went all out & bought a Benzomatic TS3000 from Home Depot. (It IS labeled as a multi-purpose torch after all.) I read some reviews online, and while the kitchen torches get points for being "cute" and "easy to hold," they just didn't seem to have much power. With my busy schedule as a resident, I didn't want to spend 3-5 minutes torching each individual dessert I make - I needed efficiency!



LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKES (Adapted from Martha Stewart)
Makes 24 Cupcakes

CUPCAKES

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour & baking powder

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in lemon juice, lemon extract and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.



LEMON CURD

8 large egg yolks (save the whites!!)
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add salt and butter, one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

7 MINUTE FROSTING

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
8 large egg whites, room temperature (saved from making lemon curd)

Combine 2 cups sugar with the water and corn syrup in a small saucepan; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230 degrees.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating to combine.

As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees, remove from heat. With mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup down side of bowl in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to medium-high; whisk until mixture is completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl) and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 7 minutes. Use immediately.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Spread 1 tablespoon lemon curd onto middle of each cupcake.



Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip (I use Wilton #1M) with frosting. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake, swirling tip slightly and releasing as you pull up to form a peak.



Hold a torch 3 to 4 inches from surface of frosting, and wave it back and forth until frosting is lightly browned all over.


(Isn't it a beauty!?!?)






NOTE:

I made the lemon curd the night before baking the cupcakes, and refrigerated it overnight. Cupcakes are best if served in the first day or two.

Enjoy!

Lemon Snowflake Cookies

One of our friends brought these tasty cookies to our holiday party in December...and Josh ate them! Finally, a sweet that Josh ate more than one of!

The recipe is incredibly easy - you may already have everything you need in your cupboard & freezer. They have a wonderful light, chewy texture, and look quite pretty on a plate. They are a little sticky to make, but getting your hands dirty can be half the fun! I'm sure kids would have a great time helping mom in the kitchen with these cookies.



Lemon Snowflake Cookies

1 Box Lemon Cake Mix**
1 egg
2 cups whipped topping,thawed
powdered sugar

Mix the first three ingredients. The mixture will be very sticky.

Drop heaping teaspoons into powdered sugar & roll to fully coat. I found it easiest to drop 4-6 cookies into the powdered sugar, then roll them and place them on the cookie sheet.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (I used silicone baking sheets), 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. The cookies will just be starting to turn brown at the edges. Remove from cookie sheet 1-2 minutes after removing from the oven.

Enjoy!

**I used a french vanilla cake mix, a box of lemon pudding & 1 tsp lemon extract. Because of the slightly extra amount of dry ingredients, I used approximately 3/4 of an 8oz tub of cool whip.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Lemon Icing

Just my luck, just when I start a blog, my computer shows me the blue screen of death - repeatedly. Thankfully, my wonderful husband took care of the issue today & I can finally post my first recipe of the year!

I have an adorable mini bundt cake pan that I love to use, and I wanted to make something to share with the nurses in the NICU. I found a recipe for a delicious pound cake recipe online, and with a few tweaks in the ingredients, I was able to make it without going to the grocery store. The cakes were gone in a flash - so moist & tender, with a very fine crumb. The cake itself is very sweet, so the icing is quite sour to offset the sweetness.




CAKE: (Based upon a recipe from William's Sonoma)
3 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt0
20 Tbs. (2 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
1 Tbs. vanilla extract


Preheat to 325°F. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt® pan (or 2 loaf pans); tap out excess flour. (I just used cooking spray & had some difficulty removing the cakes, I wouldn't recommend skipping this step!)

Mix flour, salt & baking soda in a bowl, set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides occasionally. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions. Beat each addition until just incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan carefully to finish cooling.

ICING:
1/4 cup lime juice
2-2.5 cups powdered sugar
Dash vanilla extract.

Mix all ingredients together. Adjust powdered sugar until desired consistency. Spread over cooled cake.

Enjoy!