I love cheesecake, but I sometimes get overwhelmed by the huge volumes of cream cheese required to execute the typical towering cheesecake monolith - 3, 5 even more bricks of cream cheese go into these giants. This is a thinner, low key layer of cheesecake, just one 8 ounce brick of cream cheese needed. It also has an excellent ratio of crumb base to cheese cake filling, because the graham crumbs are one of the top two reasons for eating cheesecake in the first place.

You can get all that rich, tangy cheesecake flavour, in a petite little tart package. A puddle of lemon curd on the top takes it to the next level.

lemon cheesecake tart:

adapted from Martha Stewart

1 ⅓ cup graham crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup + 2 tbs sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup lemon curd, store bought or homemade

Combine graham crumbs and butter, and press into the bottom and sides of a 13” rectangular fluted tart pan. Bake at 325 for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla and lemon zest and juice; whisk until very smooth. Pour into graham crust and bake until just set with a slightly wobbly centre, 15-20 minutes.

Cool completely and spread lemon curd over the cheesecake. Cut into thin slices to serve.

There is nothing quite as lovely as cracking through the sugary crust of crème brûlée. It’s like unwrapping a present. A crunchy, creamy, vanilla present. But you don’t have to limit this lovely topping to making actual crème brûlée. You can give the same crunchy caramel treatment to cheesecake. It's rich and creamy enough to evoke crème brûlée but with a little tang from cream cheese. This is lovely on it’s own, but even better with a sweet-and-sour cherry topping.

Baking the cheesecake in a water bath provides gentle, even heat and helps prevent cracking.

crème brûlée cheesecake:

adapted from Fine Cooking

1 cup graham crumbs
¼ cup. unsalted butter, melted
1.5 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz. mascarpone or full-fat yogurt
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Pinch of flaky salt
½ cup + 2 tbs cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tbs granulated sugar

Heat the oven to 375 F. Line the bottom of a 6” springform pan with parchment paper.

Combine graham crumbs and melted butter, mix until well combined. Press crumbs into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Wrap the outside of the springform pan in tinfoil to make it watertight. Half-fill a large roasting pan with water, making sure it’s big enough to hold the springform pan without overflowing.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese, mascarpone, flour and salt on medium speed until there are no more lumps. Scrape down the bowl and add ½ cup + 2tbs sugar. Continue beating until well incorporated and smooth. Add vanilla and beat briefly. Add eggs one at a time and beat until just incorporated. Pour filling over the prepared crust and set in the water-filled pan in the oven. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until set around the edges with a wobbly centre.

Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 8 hours. Run a knife around the outside of the cheesecake and release the sides of the pan. Carefully slide the cake onto a serving plate.

Sprinkle 3 tbs sugar over the cake and use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize it, moving in steady circles over the surface until evenly caramelized. Serve with cherry compote.

sour cherry compote:

1 cup fresh or frozen pitted cherries
1 cup sour cherries, fresh or from a jar
¼ cup sugar (+ more if using fresh sour cherries)
2 tbs lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium low heat. Cook until the cherries soften and the sugar and liquids thicken into a heavy syrup, about 15-20 mins. Allow to cool and spoon over cheesecake slices.