MINI LEMON MERINGUE CHEESECAKES #christmas #cheesecakes

These Mini Yellowness Meringue Cheesecakes are incredibly delicious and stentorian of invigorated artefact form! They're prefab with a unctuous dancer banger cheekiness, creamy maize cheesecake fill, and are topped with a knell of toasted meringue with unpleasant yellow curd in the building. A fun bite-sized ply for season!

INGREDIENTS

CRUST:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 and 1/2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted + extra to grease the pan

LEMON CHEESECAKE:

• 1 and 1/2 packages (12 oz) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tsp finely grated Lemon zest
• Juice from 1 Lemon
• 2 large eggs, room temperature

LEMON CURD:

• 4 large Egg Yolks
• 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (zest of 2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup Lemon juice (3-4 Lemons)
• 1/4 cup Unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

MERINGUE TOPPING:

• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE CRUST:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Set aside.
2. Add graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter to a mixing bowl and mix together using a fork. Place 1 tablespoon of crumbs into each liner and flatten using the back of the tablespoon or a small glass. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Lower oven temperature to 325°F.

FOR THE LEMON CHEESECAKE:

1. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch and salt on medium-low speed until creamy, 2-3 minutes.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add sour cream, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue beating until smooth.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating slowly until just combined, do not overbeat. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is combined. Forcefully tap bowl on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
4. Fill each liner with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until centers are slightly jiggly, like Jello.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm and chilled, about 4 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, make the lemon curd.

FOR THE LEMON CURD:

1. Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it begins to simmer, turn heat to low so the water doesn't begin to boil.
2. Add egg yolks and sugar to a separate medium heat-proof bowl and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute, until smooth.
3. Add lemon zest and juice and whisk until smooth. Place bowl over the saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly (using whisk at first, then switching to a wooden spoon halfway through) until mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes. You will know the curd is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Once thickened, remove bowl from heat and stir in the butter once cube at a time until melted and combined.
5. Once all of the butter is combined, strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve and discard any curdled eggs.
6. Transfer curd to another bowl and place plastic wrap right on top of the surface to prevent it from forming a skin while cooling. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours or overnight.

FOR THE MERINGUE TOPPING:

1. Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it begins to simmer, turn heat to low so the water doesn't begin to boil.
2. Add the egg whites and sugar to a medium stainless steel or glass bowl.
3. Place bowl over the saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm. You can test this by rubbing the mixture between two fingers. If it doesn't feel grainy, the sugar has dissolved and can be removed from the heat. If you still feel grains, continue whisking and keep testing until the sugar is fully dissolved.
4. Remove bowl from heat and, using a handheld mixer, beat on low speed until the mixture is frothy, about 1 minute.
5. Gradually increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is thick and glossy, 5-6 minutes.
6. Add vanilla and mix until combined.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (I used Wilton 1M). Remove chilled cheesecakes from the refrigerator and unwrap from the paper liners.
2. Pipe a rim of meringue around the edge of each cheesecake. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue, then fill the centre with lemon curd. Serve and enjoy!

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