Cheesecake is one yummy dessert, and cherry cheesecake is just absolutely delicious. This traditional dessert packs a big bang, served in individual mason jars. Covering the jars with lids makes them perfectly portable sweets, for a picnic or a take to dinner party dessert. This recipe can be easily adapted to use blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries.
Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Have approximately 12 8-ounce mason jars, clean and dry, at the ready. You don’t need the lids (unless you want to seal them for transport). Boil a pot of water.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together. Press enough crust into the bottom of each jar about a half-inch thick (it really depends on how big your jars are).
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and slowly beat in the sugar. Scrape the sides down periodically to avoid any cream cheese lumps. Beat in the eggs, milk, flour, egg yolks, and the lemon peel. Continue beating until uniform and smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Pour the batter into each jar about 2–3 inches deep. Tap the base of the jars on a counter or table to get the air bubbles out of the batter.
Place the jars in a roasting pan and carefully pour the boiling water into the pan avoiding getting any water into the cheesecake jars. The water should come up to an inch below the shortest jar.
Place the pitted cherries, water, and orange zest in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Top each cheesecake with cherry curd and garnish as desired. Makes about 12/8-ounce jars.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups (250g) graham cracker crumbs
- 6 T (85g) sugar
- 6 T butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 40 oz (1.15 kg) cream cheese, softened
- 14 oz (400g) sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 oz (60 ml) milk
- 3 T all-purpose flour
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 lemon, grated peel of
Cherry Curd
- 4 cups cherries, fresh, washed & pitted. Make life easier, we love the Talisman Cherry Chomper-Cherry Pitter
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 oz. butter
- 4 T cornstarch
- 4 T cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Have approximately 12 8-ounce mason jars, clean and dry, at the ready. You don’t need the lids (unless you want to seal them for transport). Boil a pot of water.
Crust
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together. Press enough crust into the bottom of each jar, about a half-inch thick (it really depends on how big your jars are).
Cheesecake
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and slowly beat in the sugar. Scrape the sides down periodically to avoid any cream cheese lumps.
- Beat in the eggs, milk, flour, egg yolks, and the lemon peel. Continue beating until uniform and smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Pour the batter into each jar about 2–3 inches deep. Tap the base of the jars on a counter or table to get the air bubbles out of the batter.
- Place the jars in a roasting pan and carefully pour the boiling water into the pan, avoiding getting any water into the cheesecake jars. The water should come up to an inch below the shortest jar.
- Place in oven and reduce heat to 300 °F. Bake 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the cheesecakes sit in the oven for another 20 minutes. Centers should be jiggly while the edges should be slightly firm.
- Remove from oven, remove from water bath and let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Cherry Curd
- Place the pitted cherries, water, and orange zest in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Purée the cherry mixture in a food processor.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 1 cup sugar and 2 ounces butter.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. While whisking the cherry mixture, pour the cornstarch into the pan. Stir until thick and bubbly and stir for another 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Pour the contents into a bowl or vessel and cover with plastic wrap. Let cool.
- Top each cheesecake with cherry curd and garnish as desired. Makes about 12/8-ounce jars.
Notes
Adapted From | Use Real Butter
Cheesecake from The Good Housekeeping Book of Illustrated Desserts
Cherry Curd created by Pepper Weinglass
Nutrition
Serving Size: 12/8 oz jarsDid You Make This Recipe?
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