No Bake Lemon Curd Cheesecake with Lemon Whipped Cream

One of my absolute favorite things to do is go to my cousin's house (who are more like my big sister and brother), Kristin (titi) and Oliver's, for family game night (FGN). We tend to make these plans last minute and since Titi gave birth to my perfect niece, I try to supply her with either wine or something tasty when I come over. Titi is a lemon fanatic, so I knew I needed to make something tart that wouldn't take more than an hour to prepare. Like always, I also considered Greg who would also be attended FGN and loves a good slice of cheesecake or anything involving cheese really. So I decided to combine a traditional lemon meringue pie with an awesome no bake cheesecake that my mother taught me how to make. 

The no bake cheesecake is truly a godsend. For those out there who have dabbled in making cheesecake, you understand the frustrations that accompany it. This is a non hassle, non water bath, non praying to the good lord the middle doesn't crack causing a super ugly cheesecake that can only be rectified by smothering it with whipped cream and throwing in the towel-you get the picture. Plus, for all you non-savvy bakers out there, this is a foolproof recipe that makes you look and feel like the next Betty Crocker. 

*Before you start this recipe, place two packages of cream cheese out so that it will be soft in time to make the cheesecake*

The crust: 

If you are in a time crunch like I was, just use a store bought graham cracker crust. Or you can just as easily whip one up on your own. 

1 1/2-2 Cups crushed graham cracker crumbs

1/3 Cup Sugar

7 Tbsp. Melted butter

Dash of cinnamon

Dash of all spice

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together until combined. Should resemble wet sand and easily moldable into a pie tin.

2. Gently press the edges into the pie tin until there is an even layer of crust.

3. Bake in a 350-degree oven until lightly brown and let cool.

Once your have a piecrust you can start working on the rest of the pie. The bottom layer of the pie is going to be a lemon curd. I like to make mine slightly tangier and less sweet because the cheesecake is rather sweet. 

Lemon Curd: 

3/4 Cup sugar

2 Tbsp. flour, sifted

3 Tbsp. cornstarch, sifted

1/4 t. salt

1 1/4 Cups water

3 medium lemons, juiced and zested

2 Tbsp. Butter

4 egg yolks, beaten 

Directions: 

1. In a saucepan, mix together the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch to prevent clumps from appearing. Cornstarch has a tendency to clump and be very difficult to smooth out. 

2. Add the water and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. 

3. Stir in butter and lemon zest. 

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly add about 1/2 a cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. This will temper the eggs and keep them from scrambling. Whisk the egg mixture into the hot sugar mixture until completely incorporated. 

5. Return the mixture to a boil and whisk until thick. If the mixture is not as thick as you want it, just add a slurry (water and cornstarch) until it thickens nicely. 

6. Add this mixture to the bottom of your pie crust and let it cool and stiffen in the fridge. 

The no-bake cheesecake:

2 Softened packages of cream cheese

1 Can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk 

1/4-1/2 Cup lemon juice

1-2 Lemons, tested

2 t. Vanilla extract 

Directions: 

1. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. 

2. Slowly add the condensed milk while continuously beating. 

3. Add the lemon juice a little at a time. You want the cheesecake to still have some body and not be too loose. 

4. Add the zest and the vanilla extract and beat for a few seconds longer.

5. Add the cheesecake mixture to the top of the lemon curd mixture. If the lemon curd is not stiff or still hot, do not add the cheesecake mixture! The two will swirl together and you will not have even layers. If that is the case, let the lemon curd completely cool and harden and place the cheesecake in the fridge for the time being. 

The pie is absolutely perfect just like that, but my favorite part about pie is always the whipped cream. So feel free to enjoy it like so, or make a fresh batch of lemon whipped cream. 

Lemon whipped cream: 

2 Cups heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice 

3 Tbsp. Confectioners sugar (This is a matter of taste, feel free to adjust)

1 t. vanilla extract

1 lemon, zested

Directions:

1. Add the cream and lemon juice to a chilled bowl. I prefer to use aluminum. 

2. With an electric mixer, beat the cream until small peaks start to form. 

3. Add the sugar and continue to beat until big peaks form and keep their shape.

4. Stir in vanilla and lemon zest.

I topped the pie with a fair amount of whipped cream and garnished with more lemon zest. The pie should stay in the fridge until its ready to be devoured. If you happen to have a man like mine, he may sneak a slice before you have a chance to serve it (That most definitely happened).