Cranberry Curd Lemon Cheesecake

An incredibly beautifully colored dessert with tang aplenty! Cranberry curd layered over lemon cheesecake in a crumb and nut crust, garnished with cream piping! A dessert with an outspoken atittude!

For the Lemon Cheesecake:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

2 packages 8-ounce cream cheese blocks at room temperature (1 pound))

2 large eggs at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup heavy cream at room temperature

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

For the Cranberry Curd:

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

pinch salt

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons butter, softened and cut into 3 pieces

1 cup sweetened stiffly whipped cream

Cheesecake Crust:

1 cup vanilla wafers

3/4 cup pecans, whole, halves or pieces

pinch of salt

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

Prepare Crust:

- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place cookies and pecans in a food processor and process to fine crumbs. Add sugar and melted butter and process briefly.

-Press the crust mixture in the bottom of and an inch up the sides of a 9 - 10 inch pie plate or tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough into an even thickness. Bake in oven until crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool about 10 minutes before filling with batter.

Cheesecake filling:

-In a clean food processor bowl, blend the sugar and lemon zest for about 30 seconds, or until the sugar turns a pale yellow.

-In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, salt and lemon-sugar on medium-high until smooth, about 2 minutes stopping to scrape down the sides a few times during mixing.

-Reduce the speed to medium-low. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is well combined before adding the next one. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Add the vanilla, heavy cream and lemon juice and beat until combined. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and place in the 350 degree ovven and bake until there is just a bit of a wiggle in the center of the filling. (25-35 minutes.)

-Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool about 45 minutes as you prepare the cranberry curd or up to overnight, covered with plastic wrap.

For the Cranberry Curd:

-Bring cranberries, sugar, water and salt to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Adjust heat to maintain very gentle simmer. Cover and cook until all cranberries have burst and started to shrivel stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

-While cranberries cook whisk egg yolks and cornstarch in bowl until smooth. Transfer hot cranberry mixture to food processor. Immediately add yolk mixture and process until smooth (small flecks of cranberry skin will be visible), about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Let mixture cool in processor bowl until skin forms and mixture registers 120 to 125 degrees, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

-Add softened butter to cranberry puree and process until fully combined about 30 seconds, Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on solids with rubber spatula to extract the puree. Set aside until ready to use.

To Assemble:

-Spread cranberry curd smoothly over the top of the cooled lemon cheesecake. Garnish by piping sweetened whipped cream in small dots of different sizes with a round tip or star tip. Add a few fresh cranberries for interest. Chill for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Serves 8 - 10.

Cranberry Curd Lemon Cheesecake

Cranberry Curd Lemon Cheesecake

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