I was trying to think of a dessert that was Canadian to share this week with Canada Day coming up. So my mind went to Red and White Desserts. These little cuties are perfect for Canada Day. Red and White (and yellow….)  You could leave off the lemon curd and have them be less lemony with the strawberries on top. (But then you wouldn’t have lemon curd on them….)

I had helper in the kitchen when I was making these.

I love to have my kids help but somedays I just want to do it myself. Oliver and Eli both REALLY like doing the mixing. The only problem (besides them fighting over it) is that sometimes Oliver decides he’s “done” and just lets go of the mixer. Yup, while it’s mixing. That can be…..messy.  I don’t recommend it.

Mini Lemon Cheesecakes with fresh Strawberries

25 minutes
15 minutes
40 minutes
24 mini cheesecakes
Print Recipe
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 2 (250 g) blocks of cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp of finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 3 large eggs
  • Nilla Wafers
  • Fresh Strawberries, washed and diced

For Lemon Curd

  • 8 large egg yolks
  • Finely grated zest of two lemons
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 sticks (10 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Instructions
 

For the Lemon Zest (from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

  • Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove saucepan from the heat. Add salt and butter, one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly to the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

For the mini Cheesecakes:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line 24 muffin tins with liners and fill with Nilla Wafers.
  • Combine cream cheese and sugar and mix well with hand mixer. Combine until smooth.
  • Add in sour cream, flour, zest and juice and mix well.
  • Add in each egg, beating just until each egg is combined.
  • Pour cheesecake mixture evenly into each prepared muffin tin.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until tops of cheesecakes lightly browned and firm.
  • Cool.
  • After they are cool, cover tops of each mini cheesecake with 1-2 tablespoons of lemon curd (depending on how lemony you want them!)
  • Add diced strawberries on top and a little lemon zest if desired.

If you don’t want to make your own lemon curd you can buy it (I think I’ve seen it in a store before…. maybe by the jams?). But just give it a shot! It’s soooooo tasty! I looove lemon. The lemon in these adds a nice bright spot on top of the tasty cheesecake base. And the Nilla Wafer provide the “Crust” for them. I actually could just eat lemon curd with a spoon. Or on ice cream. Or a shortbread cookie. Hmmm, now my mind is wandering to think of all the things lemon curd goes on…..

Iff it wasn’t Canada Day and you weren’t going for Red and White (and yellow) then you could add blueberries instead and it’ll be tasty too!