Lemon Drop Cheesecake with Lemon Curd Topping
If you'd like to surprise your family and friends with a showstopper dessert, then this Lovely Lemon Drop Cheesecake with Lemon Curd Topping is just the ticket!
Servings: 14 slices
Calories: 237kcal
Ingredients
For the homemade lemon curd:
- 3-4 lemons zested and juiced (reserve 2 tablespoons of the zest for the filling)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 stick butter softened
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup lemon juice, fresh
- pinch salt
For the crust:
- 12-14 Pecan Sandies cookies
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
For the filling:
- 4 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest fresh
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ cups crushed lemon drop candy, approximately 1 cup of lemon drop candies
- pinch salt
Instructions
To make the lemon curd:
- Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemons. Finely mince the zest in a food processor. Add the granulated sugar to the zest and pulse to combine. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the zest and sugar mixture, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar/lemon zest mixture. Beat in the eggs, one at a time and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix to combine.
- Pour the lemon mixture into a medium saucepan can cook over medium/low heat until thickened, stirring constantly (approximately 10-15 minutes).
- Remove the curd from the heat and cool slightly before straining it into a medium bowl.
- Once strained, cover the curd with plastic wrap and chill while you prepare the cheesecake. *Note - the curd will thicken further as it chills.
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Spray a 9" springform pan liberally with baking spray.
- Use the food processor to pulse the cookies to form fine crumbs.
- Pulse in the sugar, and the melted butter.
- Continue pulsing until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Press the cookie crumbs evenly and firmly in the bottom of the prepared springform pan.
- Bake the cookie crust in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and cool.
To make the filling:
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to blend the softened cream cheese with the Greek yogurt.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time blending well after each addition.
- Add the reserved lemon zest and sugar (set aside earlier), vanilla extract and the crush ed lemon drop candy to the cream cheese mixture, and stir well to combine.
- Place the cookie crust in the springform pan on a baking sheet.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly into the springform pan and bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until the cheesecake is only slightly jiggly in the center.
- Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to stay in the oven with the door ajar for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake to a cooling rack and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Run a knife or spatula around the outer rim of the springform pan, open the collar of the pan and gently remove.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before adding the lemon curd and flowers.
- Once the cheesecake is completely cool (you may refrigerate if desired), fill in any cracks on the top of the cheesecake with the lemon curd, and then spoon additional lemon curd evenly over the top of the cheesecake and garnish with non-poisonous flowers if desired.
- Chill the cheesecake if desired but allow it to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Notes
Tools and equipment:
vegetable peeler, food processor, large and medium bowls, citrus juicer, spatula, strainer, whisk, ziplock bag (for crushing candy), rolling pin or mallet (for crushing candy), medium saucepan, hand mixer, springform pan (9-inch), baking spray, cake plate or cake dome, plastic wrap
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 16.7mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.6mg
