Bite Size Cheesecakes With Preserved Lemon And A Cornmeal Crust
Serves: 4
Shirley Senger
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
57
Spice
54
Sweetness
52
Sourness
41
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.3
Difficulty
Ingredients:
2 large
Lemon2 cups
Water1 cup
Sugar1
Egg1 tsp
Pure Vanilla Extract1 tbsp
All-Purpose Flour1 pinch
Salt450 g
Cream Cheese2
EggsDirections:
1
Confit: Cut a slice off the top and bottom of each lemon to expose the flesh
2
Cutting from top to bottom and following the contours of the fruit, cut off the peel and white pith in 1-inch-wide strips
3
Scrape off any pulp adhering to the strips, but leave the pith intact
4
You should have several 1-inch wide strips of lemon peel and pith
5
Cut each one into long strips, about 1/4-inch by 3 inches each
6
Meanwhile, boil a kettleful of water
7
Pour about 2 cups of the boiling water into a small saucepan, bring back to a boil, add all the lemon rind, and boil 30 seconds
8
Drain in a strainer and rinse under cold running water
9
Repeat 2 times more, using fresh boiling water each time
10
Combine the sugar and 2 cups of water in the saucepan and bring to a boil
11
Add the blanched rind and reduce the heat to a simmer
12
Simmer until tender, about 1 hour
13
Drain in a strainer (reserve the sweet, lemony syrup for sweetening drinks, if you like)
14
Arrange the strips on a wire rack, using your fingers to gently spread them out so that they do not touch each other
15
Let cool and store in an airtight container
16
Crust: Cream the butter until soft and smooth in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
17
Add the sugar and continue creaming until light and fluffy
18
Mix in the egg and the vanilla
19
In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients
20
Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix at low speed until almost blended
21
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead briefly, just until the dough comes together
22
Form into a disk and chill at least 2 hours or overnight
23
Flour a work surface
24
Roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick and prick all over with a fork
25
Use a cutter to cut out rounds of pastry that are slightly larger in diameter than your mini-muffin cups
26
Transfer the pastry rounds to a sheet pan and chill 30 minutes
27
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes
28
Let cool
29
Butter 2 mini-muffin tins and then lay a large piece of plastic wrap over the tin
30
Push the plastic wrap down into each cup (this is to line it very well)
31
Do not worry, the plastic wrap will not burn or melt in the oven
32
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F
33
Filling: Whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment
34
Add the sugar and mix
35
Mix in the eggs and vanilla, then the flour and salt
36
Divide the filling among the lined cups, filling each one all the way up
37
Bake for 20 minutes
38
Let cool to room temperature, then chill
39
When ready to serve, cut the plastic wrap so you can remove each cup of cheesecake individually
40
Lift each one out of the cup and invert onto a cornmeal crust
41
Peel off the plastic wrap
42
When all the cakes have been assembled, top each one with a tiny mound of chopped lemon confit and serve