Friday 2 August 2013

Individual Mini Lemon Meringue Cheesecakes - Gluten Free

Three of my favourite things 1. thick creamy lemon curd, 2. meringue and 3. baked New York cheesecakes YUM

New York cheesecakes is something that i make only a few times a year but oh my goodness it is one of my all time favourites. These are mini New York cheesecakes baked in a cupcake pan, topped with a big spoon on thick creamy lemon curd and soft meringue. There are quite a few steps involved and you do have to wait over night but trust me its worth it! ENJOY 

Individual Lemon Meringue Cheesecakes:
Crust:
2 cups (200 grams) of gluten free ginger nuts in crumbs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup threaded coconut
Filling:
500g cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)
1/2 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
11/2  tablespoons gluten free flour (healtheries baking mix is what i use)
3 eggs, room temperature
3 tablesppons cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Crust: In a medium sized bowl combine the crumbs, coconut, and melted butter. Add headed spoons into the cupcake pans and press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and refrigerate while you make the filling.




For Filling: Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition.Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. 




Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling till 2/3 full in each pan. Place the cheesecakes on a larger baking pan and place in the oven. Bake for about 18 -22 minutes or until firm but the centers of the cheesecakes still wobble a little.







Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap. Refrigerate several hours,preferably overnight.




(dont remove the pan but here is a photo of what the cheesecake will look like at this stage)

Lemon meringue part:

200g Lemon curd (I made mine from scratch and used this recipe http://www.radionz.co.nz/collections/recipes/thick-lemon-curd

2 eggs white, room temperature

1/2 cup caster sugar

Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a low speed for 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium and whisk for another 2-3 minutes, or until the egg whites form stiff peaks. If you lift the whisk attachment out of the bowl, the mixture should look fluffy and cling to them, while the peaks remain stiff and moist-looking. This will take longer if doing by hand or using a hand held mixer. Then, while continuing to whisk, gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is stiff and glossy - this may take 5-10 minutes.





Spoon lemon curd between the cupcakes, make sure this is in the middle so meringue can go around it. 






Fill piping bag with a meringue and pipe in a circular motion around lemon curd. Bake in oven preheated to 200'c for 2-3mins, check regularly, only until lightly browned. 




Cool in the fridge for around 30 and ENJOY!





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