After a long hiatus, I'm back to join the Bake-Along! And what a coincidence is that this Bake-Along is for its 4th Birthday! The theme decided by the 3 ladies - Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Lena from Her Frozen Wings - behind Bake-Along this time round is cheesecake, how exciting and delicious, isn't it? (:
Ever since moving 8,000 km away from Singapore to a country in which the official language is not English, there have been several frustrating and embarrassing incidents while I was grocery shopping.
I spent a long time in-front of products, fumbling with my phone and trying to take a photo to scan to Google Translate to figure out what was printed on the packaging, often to no avail. Many usual and familiar products we see in Singapore are nothing but a distant memory and fondness. I also remember awkwardly describing to the butcher for the part of meat I want - just imagine trying to tell him you want to buy chicken breasts or chicken thighs! In Chinese we call it 鸡同鸭讲 (ji tong ya jiang), which is literally translated to a conversation between a chicken and a duck, and this is exactly what I experienced when conversing with the butcher.
I'm learning the new language slowly via online sources, but I'm hoping to go for some classes so that I can learn faster. Thankfully most of the people here know basic English and are really nice, friendly and patient (sometimes a shopper will intervene and translate what I want to the butcher, I'm so grateful to these kind souls!), though I honestly think most of the time they are more amused by me haha.
So while shopping for the ingredients for this cheesecake, I couldn't find digestive biscuits, so I bought a packet of biscuits labelled "petit beurre", which I Googled and look like a possible substitute. Petit beurre turns out to be a plain butter biscuit, which makes a good and buttery base for the cheesecake. The usual block cream cheese is also not in sight, so I settled for the tub version - the tub cream cheese is a little soft, but thankfully the egg managed to hold the cheesecake together.
When I make a lemon dessert, I want one that will make my face "sour", in the literal sense. So I made a lemon curd (with reduced sugar) and top a very thin layer on top of the cooled cheesecake. I made only ½ the amount of lemon curd as I know it will be too sour for X and I was right, the one with the lemon curd made his face cringed so badly that I laughed out loud (oops). Without the curd, the cheesecake is still good, a light hint of lemon with a buttery crust. But the curd really up the notch in lemon flavour - I really love the combination of the sour-ness of the curd, the creaminess of the cheesecake and the buttery crust. I drowned one in chocolate syrup and oh god, I wish I have the waist line to accommodate more.
Step-by-step Photos | |
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| 1) Break biscuits into small pieces. | 2) Whiz into crumbs and add in butter. |
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| 3) Combine until you get a damp sand consistency. Loving my new toy to do the job! | 4) Divide among the cake rings. (Not photographed: poke holes at the bottom with a toothpick or fork.) |
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| 5) Combine all the cheesecake ingredients. | 6) Mix together until smooth. |
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| 7) Divide the batter among the cake rings. | 8) Bake until cheesecake is set with a slight wobble. Set aside to cool completely. |
Step-by-step Photos | |
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| 1) Combine sugar, lemon juice and zest together and bring to a simmer. | 2) Whisk the yolks in a small bowl. |
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| 3) Can't photograph this step, but while whisking the yolks, drizzle in the lemon syrup bit by bit until all the syrup is added - this is called tempering. | 4) Reutrn the egg yolk mixture back into the pot. |
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| 5) Cook over medum-low heat, stirring constantly until curd has thickened. Don't overcook! | 6) Divide the curd among the cheesecakes. |
Happy Birthday Bake-Along! This event is hosted by these wonderful ladies - Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Lena from Her Frozen Wings. See at the end of the post for all the yummy cheesecakes by other fellow bakers!
Edit 10/5/2015: Also submitting this to Best Recipes for Everyone May 2015 Event (Theme: My Favourite Desserts), organised by Fion of XuanHom's Mom and co-hosted by Aunty Young. Thank you Aunty Young for the invitation!
Lemon Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
Cheesecake
- 75 grams petit beurre or digestive biscuits
- 30 grams unsalted butter, softened or melted
- 200 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
- 50 grams caster sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about juice of ½ large lemon
Lemon Curd (optional)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice, about juice of 1 large lemon
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 2 egg yolks
INSTRUCTIONS
Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (355 degrees Fahrenheit). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or baking paper and place 4 cake rings on top (my cake rings are 2 ½-inch in diameter and 1 ¾-inch tall). Set aside.
- Process or crush the biscuits into fine crumbs. Add in butter and mix until you get a damp sand consistency. Divide the mixture among the 4 cake rings and press down firmly with the back of a spoon. Use a toothpick or a fork, poke holes on the crust so that the crust will not separate from the cheesecake.
- Using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and lemon juice together until combined (use a low speed if using an electric mixer). The key is to incorporate as little air as possible into the cheesecakes. Divide the batter among the cake rings and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheesecake is set but there is still a very slight wobble in the middle. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and set aside to cool while you make the lemon curd.
Lemon Curd
- Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks in a separate mixing bowl.
- While whisking the egg yolks, slowly drizzle in the hot lemon syrup, drop by drop, then in a tiny stream until all the lemon syrup has been added. This process is called tempering.
- Return the mixture into the pot and cook over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture has thickened. A sure sign is that when you scrape the bottom of the pot, the curd does not fill the void immediately and that the consistency is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Place the pot in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
Assembly
- Divide the lemon curd among the cheesecakes the refrigerate the cheesecakes for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- To serve, wrap the cake rings with a warm tea towel for a few minutes then push the cheesecakes out from the bottom gently and slowly. Place on a serving plate and serve.
NOTES
Fion@轩宏妈 says
这芝士蛋糕真的太美了！谢谢你链接最棒食谱分享好食谱:)
Jasline N. says
谢谢你 Fion 举办这么好玩的 event! 希望还有时间多做几个甜点链接上去！
Chris says
Hi Jasline, this looks yummy.
Jasline N. says
Thanks Chris!
SavoringTime IntheKitchen says
I love love that tart lemon curd on the top! What a wonderful idea 🙂
Jasline N. says
Thanks Susan! Yes I love sour-ish desserts so the curd is a perfect addition!
Joyce, Kitchen Flavours says
Hi Jasline,
I knew that you have moved, but did not know to Israel! So far away! Glad to know that it is a nice place and wish you all the best in your new surroundings!
Your lemon cheesecake looks very pretty and delicious to eat! I love anything lemony!
Thanks for baking along with us!
Jasline N. says
Hi Joyce! Yea I've been here for 2 months already, really fast! Thank you for choosing such a great theme to bake to!
Zoe (@bake4happykids) says
Hi Jasline,
I must say that it has been a great pleasure baking along with you... I always enjoy looking at your crystal clear photographs illustrating how you cooks.
These lemon cheesecakes look lovely. I didn't know that you have moved to Japan and nice to know that you have get used to place pretty well now 😀
Zoe
Jasline N. says
Hi Zoe! Haha no I didn't move to Japan (how I wish I did, I'd soooo love it there), but I'm currently in Israel as my husband's working here. It's a very lovely place and it's so near to Europe 😉 Thank you so much for dropping by!
Aunty Young says
Hi Jasline, nice lemon cheescake!
I would like to invite you to submit your cheesecake to join this month's BREE event at my blog. The URL is http://auntyyoung.blogspot.com/2015/05/9-bree-9-my-favourite-dessert.html
I hope you would support the event! Thanks in advance!
Jasline N. says
Hi Aunty Young, thank you for the invitation, I've linked up 2 recipes there! 🙂
thatskinnychickcanbake says
Such beautiful mini cheesecakes! I'll take mine with your tart lemon curb, but my hubby would love his drenched in chocolate!
Jasline N. says
Thanks Liz! Lemon and chocolate is a very delicious combination! 😉
Choc Chip Uru says
I am dying for a bite, I love this delicious recipe 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Jasline N. says
Thank you Uru! Hope you are doing great!
sabine says
I love a good cheesecake, it´s simply a classic in Germany where I come from. Your lemony version sounds like a perfect springtime treat!
Jasline N. says
Hi Sabine! I've been to Germany before but I didn't have a chance to try out the cheesecake there. I wish I have a chance to revisit there and try it! Thank you for dropping by 🙂
Daniela says
I love cheesecake and I love the fresh flavor of lemon, so this combination is culinary heaven to me.
Jasline N. says
Hi Daniela, I'm glad this is a delicious combination to you! I love it too, it's so refreshing!
Grace @ FoodFitnessFreshAir.com says
This looks SO good. Love the bright and clean feeling of these photos, too!
Jasline N. says
Thank you for the compliments Grace! 🙂
May Law says
喜欢这个柠檬乳酪蛋糕， 搞到我的嘴都酸溜溜了， 嘻嘻！
原来Bake-Along的主题是cheese cake, 我也链接过来吧！
Jasline N. says
谢谢你 May! 🙂
Karen (Luvswesavory) says
Jasline,
Love the idea of using cake ring to bake cheesecake. ...I'm with you like sourish tangy flavour. Though I'm not fond of cheesecake, wish to have a spoonful of your lovely Lemon Cheesecake ^-^!
Jasline N. says
Hi Karen, wish I can send you some! I love individual desserts so cake rings are my favourite way to make cheesecakes!
Bam's Kitchen says
I love lemony lemon desserts, even more than chocolate ones! This looks amazing and so reminds me of the fresh flavours of spring. I think a scoop of fresh blueberries over the top and I would love to eat this any time of the day! Pinning and sharing, of course!
Jasline N. says
The addition of blueberries sounds really good! Weird though, I haven't seen blueberries here (but there are tons and tons of strawberries), maybe it's not the season yet! Thanks for the love as always Bobbi, take care!
evolvewithmary says
I've always wanted to move to another country, immerse myself in the culture, learn another language while meeting new people. Grocery shopping is one of those things you tend to forget when creating a fairytale in your head. I experienced a lot of confusion during a trip to Germany. We needed lotion but we couldn't figure out how to say, spell or explain lotion in german. With no english speaking people in sight it was quite intimidating and a slightly scary experience. I couldn't imagine trying to talk to a butcher. lol That cheesecake looks divine
Jasline N. says
Hi Mary, thank you for dropping by. I love travelling, but living in a totally new country is a whole new game. Lucky my butcher didn't wave his knife at me when we trying to communicate, haha. Thank you for the compliments on the cheesecake!
lena says
oh jasline, im a bit out of touch, where are you living now? i can understand the difficulty of the chicken and duck talk..hehe..i hope things will get easier for you as time goes by. Thank you for linking your cheesecake post with us, despite having problems sourcing for the usual ingredients, you still managed to bake it so well..i like lemon curd too, im sure too that this is a very delicious cheesecake!
Jasline N. says
Hi Lena! I'm staying in Israel right now 🙂 Haha thank you for the sweet compliments! Now I only need to find more people to give these treats to so that I can bake more xD
nee says
WOW !!! My mouth is watering , I like the sour taste too . Thanks for sharing Nee 🙂
Jasline N. says
Thank you Nee! Glad I'm not the only one!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
Oh you poor thing Jasline. I relate to that because I moved to Japan for a couple of years and couldn't speak Japanese so my life was miming a lot of the time!
Jasline N. says
Konnichiwa Lorraine! Yea it's frustrating, tiring and funny all at the same time, but I hope to grasp the language soon! So I guess you are able to speak fluent Japanese now? 🙂