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A Delicious Dessert: Lemon Ripple Cheesecake

partysugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:13:31 -0700

At the last minute, I decided not to make the white chocolate-lime cheesecake bars for my half birthday party. Instead, I opted for these lemon ripple bars. Lemon seemed to evoke the flavors of Spring more than lime and white chocolate. I cut them into small, bite-sized pieces and they went like hot cakes at the party!

This easy-to-follow recipe is divine. The crust is flecked with lemon zest and lemon curd is rippled with the creamy cheesecake filling. They are wonderful for a party because you can make them one or two days before the event. For the recipe, read more.

Lemon Ripple Cheesecake Bars
From Food & Wine magazine

Ingredients

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
Filling
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
2 large egg yolks
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 1/4 pounds cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Make the crust: preheat the oven to 325°F and position a rack in the center. Butter a 9-inch-square nonstick baking pan.
In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Add the butter and pulse until a soft, crumbly dough forms.
Press the dough evenly over the bottom and a scant 1/2 inch up the side of the pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, or until golden and firm.
Meanwhile make the filling: in a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water.
In a medium sauce pan, whisk the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and cook over moderate heat, whisking gently, until the sugar is dissolved and the lemon mixture is hot, about 4 minutes. Boil over moderately high heat for 1 minute, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Strain the lemon mixture into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the lemon zest and let cool.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup of sugar until smooth.
Beat in the flour until blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between additions. Add the sour cream and the vanilla and beat until the batter is smooth. Pour the cream cheese batter over the crust and smooth the surface with a spatula.
Dollop the lemon mixture on the cheesecake batter and carefully swirl it into the batter; take care not to cut into the crust. Use the back of a table knife to gently swirl together the lemon mixture and the cheesecake batter. Take care not to swirl too much each mixture should remain distinct so you have a lovely white and yellow pattern on top.
Bake the cheesecake for about 40 minutes, or until golden around the edge and just set. Run the tip of a knife around the edge to loosen the cheesecake from the side of the pan.
Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate the cheesecake until thoroughly chilled. Cut into 16 bars and serve.

Makes 16 large bars.

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A Wee Little Lemon Cookie

YumSugar — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 09:03:17 -0700

I was trying to figure out what the next cookie in our National Cookie Month coverage should be when I spied these adorable petite lemon curd cookies. They look a bit like traditional French Macaroons, but are a lot easier to handle. Plus, they're filled with a delectable lemon curd, so what's not to love? To check out the recipe for these tea party worthy bites, read more

Petite Lemon Curd Cookies
From Gourmet magazine, December 2003

For Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar for dredging and dusting

For Lemon Curd
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks

Special equipment: a 1 1/4-inch round cookie cutter; a pastry bag fitted with small plain tip or a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag (not pleated)

Prepare cookie dough:

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Form dough into 2 balls and flatten each into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make lemon curd:

Simmer lemon juice, zest, sugar, butter, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Lightly beat yolks in a small bowl, then add 1/4 cup lemon mixture, whisking. Add yolk mixture to remaining lemon mixture, then reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk, about 2 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl, then cover surface with plastic wrap and chill while rolling out dough.

Roll out dough:

While oven preheats, roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) into a 9-inch round (slightly less than 1/4 inch thick) on a well-floured surface with a well-floured rolling pin. (If dough becomes too soft to roll out, chill on a baking sheet until firm.) Cut out as many cookies as possible with cutter.

Finish up:

Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Dredge warm cookies in confectioners sugar until coated and transfer to a rack to cool completely. Make more cookies in same manner.
Transfer lemon curd to pastry bag or plastic bag (snip an 1/8-inch opening in a corner of plastic bag). Put 1 cookie upside down on work surface and pipe about 1/2 teaspoon lemon curd onto cookie, then top with another cookie, right side up, to form a sandwich. Make more sandwiches in same manner.
Just before serving, sift some remaining confectioners sugar over tops of sandwiched cookies.

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Yummy Links: Yellow Cake with Lemon Curd and Chocolate

YumSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 08:29:31 -0700

It seems like we can't get enough cake or chocolate around here - which is okay since the entire internet loves to help out. This time it's a gooey, runny yellow cake with lemon curd and chocolate ganache. I hope there's a slice for me. - Everybody Likes Sandwiches

Come Party With Me: Summer Cocktail - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:50:20 -0700

This Friday a group of friends will be gathering in my sister's garden for an informal Summer cocktail party. Since the entire savory menu consists of delicious bite-sized finger food, the theme should carry over to the desserts. That's why an assortment of mini tartlets will make up the dessert selection. In this recipe, the tartlet crust is homemade, and the shells are filled with store-bought lemon curd. However, feel free to get creative with the shells: vanilla custard, chocolate pudding, or cheesecake batter would be delicious fillings. To get the basic recipe, read more.

Mini-Tarts
From Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
10 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter,   cut into pieces
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten with 1 Tbs. water
1 jar (28 oz.) lemon curd filling
Whipped cream, meringue, fresh fruit or   candied ginger for garnish

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt and pulse once to mix. Add the butter and process in short pulses until pea-size crumbs form, 20 to 25 seconds. While pulsing, add the egg yolk mixture and process until large, moist crumbs form, 10 to 15 seconds more.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each half into a flat, 5-inch disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 400ºF.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Transfer a round to each well of a 12-well mini-tart plaque or mini-muffin pan.
Using your fingers, press the pastry to fit into the well. Bake until the tart shells are evenly golden and crisp, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes, then remove the tart shells from the pan and cool to room temperature.
Fill each tart shell with 1 1/2 Tbs. tart filling. Garnish with whipped cream, meringue, fresh fruit or candied ginger.

Makes 12 tarts.

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Must-Read: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:00:20 -0700

Given that some say we're in the middle of a food revolution, and local, sustainable, home-grown produce is popping up everywhere, it's only logical that an uptick in home preserving will happen, too. Enter Karen Solomon's Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, a new book that's focused on making your own artisanal food products, either to keep or to give as gifts. The tome isn't simply limited to fruit jellies and quick pickles - it also includes instructions on making everything from flatbread to watermelon Popsicles to chai tea. But did it live up to its high expectations? Find out when you read more.

Pros:

The cookbook covers a wide range of basic preserving techniques that run the gamut from dairy products to cured meats.
Each recipe provides a general overview of the dish, estimated time required, and suggestions for storing.
Book size and binding make it easy for the tome to stay on the desired page.

Cons:

This do-it-yourself book could benefit from having more instructional pictures.
Recipe directions are written in paragraph form, which can be hard to navigate.

Recipes: I'm excited to create homemade versions of many different comestibles using the book's artisanal techniques and tips. Intriguing projects include:

Baked potato chips
Kimchee
Gravlax
Smoked trout
Ricotta salata
Lemon curd
Jamaican ginger beer

Imagery: While only a quarter of the book contains images, all of them are vivid, visually appealing color photographs.

Overall Rating: If you're looking to be a resourceful kitchen do-it-yourselfer, then this book would seal the deal.

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Making the Most Fabulous Fondue

partysugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:03:51 -0800

While it may seem incredibly easy to throw a bunch of cheese into a pot and melt it, crafting a super-creamy fondue takes a little skill. In the February issue of Vogue, Jeffrey Steingarten acknowledges that the perfect fondue is hard to find. He said:

Fondues as smooth and suave as this are rare; more often the cheese separates and settles on the bottom of the pan in stringy clumps and lonely curds whose flavor is as fine as the cheese they're made from, but that congeal in the mouth into tough and chewy balls not unlike chaws of bubble gum.

No one would want to serve a chunky fondue like the one Steingarten describes. To ensure that you never make a bad fondue again, check out my tips for creating silky fondue, just read more.

Use the best-quality cheese you can afford. When making the classic Swiss version, use gruyere instead of emmentalar. Avoid using low-fat cheeses as they don't melt well.
Similar to a vinaigrette, fondue is an emulsion of melted cheese and wine, so keep that in mind when you are whisking the two ingredients together.
Use a dry white wine and add a little fresh lemon juice to provide acidity.
Cook over a low temperature and never let the fondue boil.
Before using a new fondue pot, break it in by boiling a mixture of half water, half milk for 15 minutes.
Never add all of the cheese at once to the pot. Add the cheese by the handful, stirring between additions to ensure a smooth, melted texture.
When setting up fondue, place in a part of the table that is accessible as you don't want guests reaching to get to the fondue. Place pots on different tables to ensure that everyone isn't crowded around one table.

Got a great tip for making fondue? Please share with us below!

Source and Source

Come Party With Me: Easter - Menu (Dinner, Dessert)

partysugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 15:08:37 -0700

No familiar holiday celebration is finished without a to die for dessert. After you've washed the dishes from your Easter dinner, show-stop your guests with an extravagant lemon meringue pie. The sunny yellow curd filling and pillows of soft white meringue topping could be defined as spring on a plate. If you have yet to make a pie of these sorts, I suggest you make one to end your Easter dinner. Look at the recipe, and read more

Lemon Meringue Pie
From Jim Fobel

For the pastry:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons cold lard or solid vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Make the pastry: In a large bowl, combine the flour with the salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter and lard until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the ice water as you toss the mixture with a fork. Gather the dough into a ball and knead 2 or 3 times until evenly moistened. Pat the dough into a 6-inch disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425°. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the chilled pastry into a 12-inch round 1/8 inch thick. Fit the pastry into a 9-inch glass pie plate and trim the overhang to 1/2 inch; fold the overhang under and crimp decoratively. Line the pie shell with foil and fill with pie weights.

Set the pie shell on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the edge has set. Carefully remove the foil and weights and bake the shell for 15 minutes longer, or until the bottom is firm and light golden; tap the bottom with a spoon if it bubbles up. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the edge with foil. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Make the filling: Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar with the cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the egg yolks and lemon juice. Whisk in the cold water and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest and butter, stirring until the butter is melted. Pour the filling into the pie shell, cover with wax paper and let cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350° and position a rack in the upper third.
In a large stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form.
Remove the wax paper from the filling. Scrape the meringue onto the pie and gently spread it over the filling all the way to the crimped edge of the pie crust. Make decorative swirls with the back of a spoon.
Bake the pie for about 7 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 3 hours.
Cut the pie with a sharp knife dipped into hot water and serve.

Makes 1 pie.

Make ahead: the recipe can be made through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight. Top with the meringue and bake, then let cool before serving.

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What is your favorite Easter dessert? Tell me below and be sure to check back all week for this party as there is lots more to do: drinks, the look, and music.