Lemon Cheesecake Tarts

Easter two weeks out. Prep.

Drove Monday-Tuesday.

Tyler home for Easter — driving from Milford. Amber home. Justin here. All kids will be home.

Gayle steady.

Sunday: lasagna.

When everyone finally makes it home — Tyler driving in from Milford, Amber and Justin already here — the table just has to be right. Sunday was always going to be lasagna, but I wanted something sweet at the end that matched the season, the brightness of having all of them together again. These lemon cheesecake tarts are what I reached for: fresh, a little fancy, and easy enough that I wasn’t still in the kitchen when the kids arrived. Spring on a plate, exactly what Easter called for.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 1 hr 45 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 12 tarts

Ingredients

For the tart shells:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2–3 tablespoons ice water
For the lemon cheesecake filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
For garnish:
Whipped cream or additional heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
Thin lemon slices or zest curls
Fresh blueberries or raspberries (optional)

Instructions

Make the pastry dough. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and work them into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces. Drizzle in ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough holds together when pressed. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup standard muffin tin or twelve 3-inch individual tart pans.
Roll and fit the shells. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 12 circles roughly 4 inches in diameter. Press each circle gently into the prepared muffin cups or tart pans, fitting up the sides. Prick the bottoms several times with a fork. Line each shell with a small piece of parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
Blind bake the shells. Bake for 12 minutes with weights, then remove parchment and weights and bake an additional 6–8 minutes until the shells are lightly golden and dry to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pans before filling.
Make the cheesecake filling. Beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated and silky.
Fold in the whipped cream. In a separate chilled bowl, beat the cold heavy cream to firm peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions, keeping the filling light and airy.
Fill and chill. Spoon or pipe the lemon cheesecake filling into the fully cooled tart shells, mounding it slightly. Smooth the tops with a small spatula or the back of a spoon. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) until the filling is set and firm.
Garnish and serve. Just before serving, top each tart with a small dollop of whipped cream, a thin lemon slice or curl of zest, and fresh berries if desired. Serve chilled.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lemon Cheesecake Tarts — Easter Sunday Sweetness When All the Kids Come Home