Do you remember back in, oh I think it was December when I posted this Caramel Cheesecake recipe? I discussed how it was created for a shortbread cookie challenge courteous of Walkers. Well, through a hurricane, a new year, and a snow storm we finally had our challenge!!
Continuing to make use of all those amazing shortbread cookies, Walkers asked if the theme could be more spring oriented. Two flavors that resonate in my mind when it comes to spring are lemons and raspberries. I like to think of them as a bridge between winter and summer.
Still unable to get cheesecake off my mind, I simply just swapped out all my caramel for some meyer lemon juice and zest! A raspberry puree also gave me the perfect opportunity for a pretty swirl pattern on top.
I must say, in a week where we are going into chocolate overload – baking this fruity, citrusy cake three times (once to test and twice for the event) has been a pleasure for my palate! Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate and even used some in the crust, but sometimes you need a little break.
Meyer Lemons are a citrus hybrid. Generally a cross between a lemon and a mandarin, they provide a lemon tang with less acid and a little more sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1 box Walkers Quadruple Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- 1 box Walkers Pure Butter Shortbread Lemon Thins
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 10 oz fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 8oz block cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons meyer lemon zest
- 1/2 cup meyer lemon juice (about 3-4 meyer lemons)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons meyer lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
Instructions
- Butter or spray your springform pan and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Using a food processor, pulse the cookies until they are completely broken down into a fine crumb and add the sugar and melted butter. Pulse a few more times until the mixture is like wet sand.
- Dump into the springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and sides, going all the way up to the middle of the pan.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes for a nice golden color. Remove to cool.
- In a small saucepan on medium low heat mix together the raspberries, sugar and water. Cook for about 10 minutes until the raspberries are completely broken down.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and with a silicone spatula press through all the liquid, disposing the solids. If the puree seems a little thin, return to the pot and bring to a boil to cook for an additional minute. Let cool.
- Lower the temperature of the oven to 325 and bring water to boil in a teakettle.
- Take your cooled crust and with a few layers of aluminum foil, wrap the bottom and sides, so no water will leak inside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer or using a hand mixer with a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese sugar and lemon zest until light and airy about 3-4 minutes. Then add the sour cream and eggs 1 at a time until well combined.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom and finally add the meyer lemon juice and salt. Mix to combine.
- Scrape everything together again and pour into the prepared pan.
- Smooth the top of the cheesecake batter with a spatula and drizzle 1/4 cup of the raspberry puree in 3 circles (one large and then smaller inside each other). With a skewer or chopstick, make a swirl pattern. Reserve the remaining puree for later.
- Place the springform pan into a larger pan and put both into the oven. Pour the boiling water into the larger pan so that it reaches about halfway up.
- Bake for about an hour and 15 to 30 minutes or until the middle no longer jiggles.
- Remove and let cool completely (about two hours) before removing from the pan.
- Prior to serving, in your stand mixer, whip together the heavy whipping cream, meyer lemon juice and sugar until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
- Place into a piping bag and pipe circles of cream around the outside of the cake.
- Chill the cheesecake for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving, and serve with the remaining raspberry puree and meyer lemon cream.
Wondering who won? It was my good friend Kayle from The Cooking Actress who took the cake, errr pie. She won the grand prize and I seriously couldn’t be happier for her!
I’ve got photos of what everyone else made here on my Facebook page, check out all the awesomeness that we got to enjoy!
Disclosure: Walkers provide sample packages for recipe development. All opinions are of my own. No monetary value was exchanged.
Awww Susan you’re so sweet! And your cheesecake is and was seeriously sooo gorgeous!
I’m afraid I can’t judge this without sampling it. In fact, I may need to sample it several times to be sure the right dessert won. Start baking! 🙂
Come by office today and get some of the smooshed pieces. 🙂
I love the raspberry swirls! Does it really have four packages of cream cheese?! Just beautiful and I am sure, rich and delicious!
Yes – 4 packages! It’s cheesecake, it’s meant to be rich!!
As someone who has sampled this… it was THE BOMB!!!! So freakin yum! Loved seeing you last night!
This looks fantastic! Your photos are beautiful and make me want to dive in! But hush your mouth girl! Never too much chocolate in my book! hahahah
I need to move to New York where I can hang out with you, Kayle and all the other fabulous food bloggers, and we can spend all day talking about food, making food and then devouring food. This cheesecake looks perfect, Susan – so rich, decadent and pretty. I love everything in it, especially that amazing Walker’s cookie crust (with two kinds of cookie to boot!). What a delicious event – so glad you had fun!
i hadn’t thought about using shortbread cookies in a crust, i bet that is fabulous. and this is absolutely stunning! so gorgeously springy!
Susan, this is one seriously good looking cheesecake.
what size springform pan did you use?
I used a 9 inch springform pan.
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