These delicious cheesecake thumbprint cookies are so delicious. Daughter, Megan, found this recipe and used apricot vs. the suggested raspberry jam. Any jam would work and for the chocolate lover, a few of those as well. One last bit of sugar before the New Year diets begin!
5-Ingredient Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup + 3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup preserves (raspberry, strawberry, apricot or bits of chocolate)
DIRECTIONS:
In the body of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
Add the sugar and beat well.
Add in flour, a small bit at a time, beating in on low speed, just until incorporated.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes and up to two hours.
30 minutes prior to baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop out 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough, roll them into rounds, and place on the cookie sheet. Lightly press your thumb in the center of each round. Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
Place pan in the oven to bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until just golden at the edges. They will still be very soft when you remove them from the oven–that’s a good thing!
Cool on the baking sheet for 10 full minutes, then very carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Daughter Megan did it again with this light, delicious no-bake cheesecake with homemade lemon curd and fresh strawberries. We had family in town for a visit and this dessert was a big hit with everyone. I’ll admit I do not care for traditional cheesecake since it so heavy, but not this version. And who makes their own lemon curd? Yes indeed, Megan does. Perhaps she needs to pursue her dream of a bake shop!
Perfect No-Bake Cheesecake with Lemon Curd
INGREDIENTS:
Graham Cracker Crust
2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full sheet graham crackers)
1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
Cheesecake
three 8-ounce blocks (680g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoonpure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
Make the crust: Stir the graham cracker crust ingredients together. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan or 10-inch springform pan and pack in very tightly. The tighter it’s packed, the less likely it will fall apart when cutting the cheesecake. I recommend using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it into the bottom and up the sides. You can watch me do this in the video above. Freeze for 10–20 minutes as you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2–3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and combined. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
Using your mixer on low speed or a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
Remove crust from the freezer and spread filling into crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6–8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, 12 hours is best. I chill mine overnight. The longer refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up.
Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.
Serve cheesecake with desired toppings. Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Homemade Lemon Curd
INGREDIENTS:
4 large egg yolks(for thicker lemon curd, see Note on eggs)
2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2–3 lemons)
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons (86g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 6 pieces
DIRECTIONS:
Fill the bottom pot of your double boiler with 1–2 inches of water. (Or use the DIY double boiler method listed in the notes.) Place on high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce to low heat to keep the water at a simmer.
Place egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into the top pot of your double boiler. Using a silicone whisk, whisk until completely blended, then continue to whisk as the curd cooks. Constant whisking prevents the egg yolks from curdling. Whisk and cook until the mixture becomes thick, resembling the texture of hollandaise sauce, about 10 minutes. If curd isn’t thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk.
Remove pan from heat. Whisk the sliced butter into the curd. The butter will melt from the heat of the curd as you whisk. Pour curd into a jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so it is touching the top of the curd. (This prevents a skin from forming on top.) The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Once cool, the plastic wrap can be removed.
Fork Lore 