Best Lemon Verbena Cheesecake Recipes

LEMON AND ALMOND UNBAKED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of the springform pan and line with parchment or waxed paper. Set aside.
• To make the base: Beat together the butter and sugar by hand until light and fluffy. Beat in the yolk until smooth. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. With a rubber spatula, gently fold into the butter mixture. The mixture will be crumbly.
• Transfer the dough into the prepared springform pan and use your hands to pat it down evenly and firmly over the bottom. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and baked through. Transfer to a rack and cool base completely.
• To make the filling: Combine the rum and lemon juice in a medium, heatproof bowl, and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Allow to soak for 5 minutes, then place the bowl over a small pan of gently simmering water and stir several times to melt the gelatin, about 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the pan and cool the gelatin slightly.
• In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and light, scraping the bowl and beaters often. Beat in the cream until smooth. Combine the egg whites and sugar in the clean, dry bowl of the electric mixer and heat over simmering water, whisking constantly, until the egg whites are hot and sugar is dissolved. Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk attachment at medium speed until cold and firm. Beat 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture into the dissolved gelatin, then beat the gelatin mixture into the remaining cream cheese. Fold in the meringue in several additions. Pour the filling into the prepared pan and refrigerate until at least 6 hours or overnight.
• To prepare the almonds: Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Put the almonds in a jellyroll pan, pour the egg whites over them, and rub the almonds between the palms of your hands to coat evenly. Stir in the sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until the almonds are well toasted and sugar has caramelized slightly. Cool, and store in a tin or jar at room temperature until ready to use.
• To make the glaze: Combine the water and lemon juice in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Allow to soak for 5 minutes.
• Bring the jelly to a boil and add the gelatin mixture. Return to a boil, and remove from heat. Add the food coloring and pour over the chilled cheesecake. Chill again to set the glaze.
• To unmold the cheesecake, run a knife or thin spatula around the inside of the pan pressing the knife against the pan, not the cake. Unbuckle the pan side and lift off. Leave the cake on the base, or run a spatula under the cake base and slide the cake onto a platter. Press the sugared almonds around the sides.
• Keep refrigerated until time to serve. To serve, cut the cake into wedges with a knife warmed in hot water and wiped dry, refrigerate leftovers.

LEMON CHEESECAKE WITH LEMON-ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the center position, without any racks above it.
• Place the cookies in a food processor; pulse to the texture of sand. Add the crushed cookies to a 10-inch springform pan and pour in the melted butter. Using your hands, mix together the cookie crumbs and butter until they are completely combined and hold together when pinched. Firmly press the cookie crust into the bottom of the pan. Press down on the crust with the bottom of a cup to ensure it is tightly packed.
• Bake the crust for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Remove from oven and let cool. When the pan is cool enough to handle, wrap it in foil three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pan--this will prevent any water from getting into the cheesecake while it is baked in a water bath.
• For the cheesecake: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Slowly turn the mixer up to medium-high speed; continue to mix for 2 minutes, until the ingredients are completely combined and smooth.
• Set aside 1/4 cup of the lemon curd and reserve it for the topping. With a rubber spatula, fold the remaining lemon curd into the cheesecake mixture. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and spread it evenly, making sure to flatten the top. Gently tap the pan a few times on a flat surface to even out the mixture.
• Use the reserved lemon curd to make a fun design in the top of the cheesecake. For instance, you can dollop 15 small dots, about a heaping 1/2 teaspoon each, around the border of the cake and then 6 small dots towards the center of the cake and 1 dot directly in the center. Drag a skewer around the center of the first ring of dots to pull the lemon curd into a teardrop shape. Repeat with the interior circle of lemon curd drops.
• Place the foil-lined springform pan in a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still has a pudding-like jiggle. Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes before removing the pan from the water bath. Let the cheesecake sit another 30 minutes. While the cheesecake is still warm, run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan and then release the sides of the pan. (If you do this after the cheesecake has cooled completely, the cake may tear slightly.) Let the cheesecake cool completely before slicing and serving. Refrigerate any cheesecake not being served immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Lightly grease the foil and sides of the pan with butter.
• In a food processor, pulse the sugar with the lemon zest and rosemary until well combined. Remove 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture and reserve.
• Add the butter, vanilla and salt to the food processor with the sugar and pulse until combined. Add the flour, about 1 cup at a time, pulsing to combine after each addition. After the last addition, you may have to stir and scrape down the sides of the food processor to help incorporate all of the flour. Continue to pulse until the dough comes together.
• Turn the dough out into the prepared baking pan and press it in evenly. Poke the dough all over with a fork and sprinkle it with the reserved sugar.
• Use a knife to cut the dough into approximately 3-by-1-inch rectangles (or whichever shape you prefer). Bake until golden brown at the edges and golden in the center, about 25 minutes. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a bench scraper or knife to re-cut the lines of the cookies. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the cookies with the foil and cool completely on a rack.