Being a Northwest girl, I grew up going to Red Robin and having their Freckled Lemonade. This cheesecake was inspired by that drink, and is best prepared with my shortbread crust.
After tasting this, it is good but might need stronger strawberry flavor. Maybe strawberry mixed in with the filling, and less lemon juice? Try this recipe and let me know what you think about this!
The strawberry lemonade cheesecake
Ingredients:
- Prepared, cooled crust of your choice
- 1-8 ounce package cream cheese
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon strawberry jam, warmed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, if it isn't still preheated from making the crust.
Add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract to a medium to large mixing bowl.
SIDENOTE: If you're really interested in making cheesecakes regularly, I recommend investing in a stand mixer. This will save your arm a lot of work. However, a hand mixer will work just fine for the occasional cheesecake. But I will warn you that it may take upwards of half an hour to mix the batter to the point of having no lumps. So you can understand why I encourage the investment in a stand mixer, and STRONGLY discourage you from attempting to make this or any cheesecake recipe by hand with no mixer.
Mix all the ingredients until there are few to no lumps (which will take a very long time, but be patient because it's worth it). Add the lemon zest and juice, and mix to combine.
Wrap your crust-containing springform pan with foil and fill with the batter to the top of the pan. Shake and lightly drop your batter-filled pan on your counter to release some of the air bubbles. Drop small amounts of the jam around the top of your cheesecake, and swirl with a knife, taking care to not disturb the crust.
Place in larger pan and then place both pans in the oven. Create your water bath. Bake approximately 45 minutes, or until the cheesecake jiggles minimally when shaken, the top is light to medium brown, and it springs back when touched.
Let cool until cheesecake pan can be handled, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight to set. (Covering the pan with a paper towel and plastic wrap, held with a rubber band, is recommended.)
April 13, 2011
The shortbread crust
I can't tell you how many cheesecakes I've made and had with graham cracker crusts, and I do love that tradition. However, I'm still looking for a graham cracker recipe to use for my crusts. I do have an amazing shortbread recipe though, taken from a Family Fun magazine back in the 90s. (If you've had my shortbread, this is a variation of that recipe.) I've scaled this recipe way down to be only slightly larger than necessary for a 4" pan. Just like with cheesecake recipes, this one should be doubled for 8" pans or tripled for larger.
The shortbread crust
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup butter (half a stick), softened
- 1/8 + 1/16 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT the fleur de sel or kosher salt and the melted butter with your fingers until the dough is smooth and holds together.
Press the dough into an ungreased pan, about 1/2 inch thickness. (The dough doesn't need to come to the edges of the pan for this recipe.) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (20 minutes for a doubled or tripled recipe), or until lightly brown around the edges. Remove from the oven, leaving the oven heated to 350.
Once cooled enough to handle, break the cookie apart with your fingers into fine crumbs in a medium-sized bowl. Mix in the 1/4 teaspoon of fleur de sel or kosher salt.
Next, add half the melted tablespoon of butter to the bowl, mixing to combine. If this presses together pretty well to form a crust, stop there, but if it doesn't, add the rest of the butter and combine.
Press evenly 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick into the pan depending on your personal preference, the bottom wrapped with foil and sides covered with parchment if desired, and bake approximately 15 minutes, or until the crust holds together and may be very lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Then proceed by preparing the cheesecake filling of your choice.
The shortbread crust
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup butter (half a stick), softened
- 1/8 + 1/16 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT the fleur de sel or kosher salt and the melted butter with your fingers until the dough is smooth and holds together.
Press the dough into an ungreased pan, about 1/2 inch thickness. (The dough doesn't need to come to the edges of the pan for this recipe.) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (20 minutes for a doubled or tripled recipe), or until lightly brown around the edges. Remove from the oven, leaving the oven heated to 350.
Once cooled enough to handle, break the cookie apart with your fingers into fine crumbs in a medium-sized bowl. Mix in the 1/4 teaspoon of fleur de sel or kosher salt.
Next, add half the melted tablespoon of butter to the bowl, mixing to combine. If this presses together pretty well to form a crust, stop there, but if it doesn't, add the rest of the butter and combine.
Press evenly 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick into the pan depending on your personal preference, the bottom wrapped with foil and sides covered with parchment if desired, and bake approximately 15 minutes, or until the crust holds together and may be very lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Then proceed by preparing the cheesecake filling of your choice.
Why am I sharing my cooking and craftwork secrets with whoever comes across this blog?
I recently moved to California, a couple days of driving away from my parents and across the country from many of my college friends. So I've realized that most of my family and friends are unable to see my projects and taste my food. I miss you all very much, and I wanted to make a blog to share my creations with you. Now you can see pictures of my sewing and crochet/knitwork. You can make my recipes at home. And maybe it will even inspire you to make some of your own creations.
As for the people this may spread to, I thank you for visiting and hope you will enjoy my work as much as I do.
SO... I wanted to start off my blog by explaining a few things about my cheesecake recipes, since sharing them is a major function of this blog. I own three springform pans: two 4" pans and one 8" pan. I strongly recommend preparing cheesecake in springform pans. They're available at most kitchenware-selling stores, including craft stores like JoAnn's.
As for my recipes, I will always give you a recipe for a 4" pan unless otherwise stated. However, altering recipes for larger pans is incredibly simple. Just double the recipe for an 8", or triple for larger sizes. Baking times will likely increase with size, but the properties of a finished cheesecake will always stay the same. You're looking for minimal jiggling when lightly shaken, light to medium browning on top, and springy firmness when touched.
And as for ingredients, more often than not I make my cakes from scratch. This means that the cookies used for my crusts are also homemade, and I intend on sharing these recipes with you.
Something that's nice and convenient about Blogspot/Blogger is the page option they've created. Up at the top of my blog are pages that explain some of the essentials of cheesecake making. I will always try to link to them within my recipes so you can refer to them for the detailed steps that may not be so detailed in my recipes.
My cakes are always a great balance of sweet and salty. Have you tried salted chocolate? Yeah, it's the same idea here. Whenever I order a cheesecake at a restaurant, or even when I eat someone's homemade cake, it seems like it's always one sweet note. My crusts involve adding a small amount of salt, usually fleur de sel. Kosher salt will work, too. Trust me, it makes a world of a difference.
Try my recipes, read my blogs, enjoy my projects, and always let me know what you think!
As for the people this may spread to, I thank you for visiting and hope you will enjoy my work as much as I do.
SO... I wanted to start off my blog by explaining a few things about my cheesecake recipes, since sharing them is a major function of this blog. I own three springform pans: two 4" pans and one 8" pan. I strongly recommend preparing cheesecake in springform pans. They're available at most kitchenware-selling stores, including craft stores like JoAnn's.
As for my recipes, I will always give you a recipe for a 4" pan unless otherwise stated. However, altering recipes for larger pans is incredibly simple. Just double the recipe for an 8", or triple for larger sizes. Baking times will likely increase with size, but the properties of a finished cheesecake will always stay the same. You're looking for minimal jiggling when lightly shaken, light to medium browning on top, and springy firmness when touched.
And as for ingredients, more often than not I make my cakes from scratch. This means that the cookies used for my crusts are also homemade, and I intend on sharing these recipes with you.
Something that's nice and convenient about Blogspot/Blogger is the page option they've created. Up at the top of my blog are pages that explain some of the essentials of cheesecake making. I will always try to link to them within my recipes so you can refer to them for the detailed steps that may not be so detailed in my recipes.
My cakes are always a great balance of sweet and salty. Have you tried salted chocolate? Yeah, it's the same idea here. Whenever I order a cheesecake at a restaurant, or even when I eat someone's homemade cake, it seems like it's always one sweet note. My crusts involve adding a small amount of salt, usually fleur de sel. Kosher salt will work, too. Trust me, it makes a world of a difference.
Try my recipes, read my blogs, enjoy my projects, and always let me know what you think!
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