Lemon Cheesecake Tarts
Lemon Cheesecake Tarts: with a tender, buttery shortbread crust, a fluffy layer of no-bake cheesecake, and a bright and tangy lemon curd topping!
This is a sponsored post, written by me and created in partnership with MacKenzie-Childs. All opinions expressed herein are straight from my heart.
Hey there! I’m so excited to share this post with you today, because a) my husband says these lemon cheesecake tarts might be the best dessert I’ve ever made, b) I think they look beyond gorgeous on these MacKenzie-Childs plates, and c) I want to tell you all about my recent trip to Aurora, NY!
There are going to be a lot of fun pics in this post, but if you’re just here for the recipe, click *this link* to jump right down to it.
The town of Aurora, NY
Aurora! The sweet people at MacKenzie-Childs invited me to visit this charming little town a few weeks back, and I couldn’t help but fall completely in love with it.
E.B. Morgan House
Here’s a few pics of E. B. Morgan House, the beautiful little lake-front Inn at which I stayed:
exterior image source: Trip Advisor
After settling in to this comfy space, I was given a tour of the other local inns (and a little history lesson) as well.
Rowland House
This is Rowland House, my favorite. I just loved the color scheme, and the mix of traditional and modern decor. Can you get over that dining room?
Aurora is home to Wells College, and after the town fell into disrepair, Pleasant Rowland (the founder of the American Girl doll/book series and an alum of the school) stepped in and restored it to its former glory. All of these inns have been lovingly renovated and decorated by Pleasant. I think she did a phenomenal job.
Wallcourt Hall
exterior image source: Architectural Digest
This is Wallcourt Hall. It used to be a dormitory but it’s been converted into the sleek, modern hotel we see now.
The MacKenzie-Childs Workshop
After seeing the inns, we were allowed a sneak peek into the inner workings of the MacKenzie-Childs workshop. This is where all the pottery and furniture pieces are handmade and decorated.
You really get a sense of their fun and whimsical signature style, and it’s so cool to see how much love and care goes into every piece they create. I was even allowed to try my hand at forming and handpainting!
The Farmhouse
From the workshop, we moved on to the farmhouse. Every corner of this house is dressed to the nines in MacKenzie-Childs. So many beautiful colors and lively patterns. There’s tons to look at and it can’t help but put you in a happy mood.
Just look at the gorgeous dining table they set! I got to eat lunch (and lemon tarts!) in this space!
The Grounds
After lunch there was a tour of the grounds, and just wow. How gorgeous?? I couldn’t get over how lush the gardens were, and all the outbuildings were so incredibly charming.
I’m sending out a huge thank-you to all the people at MacKenzie-Childs, who gave me such a warm welcome. It was such a great trip and I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to see and learn all about the town of Aurora, NY!
Lemon Cheesecake Tarts
And now for the recipe. I was treated to a gorgeous lemon dessert on the last night of my stay in Aurora, and it inspired these lemon cheesecake tarts.
Actually, I was served lemon tart twice: at two different meals in Aurora. After my lunch at the farmhouse, I was given the loveliest lemon tart with a shortbread crust and a layer of fluffy cream under the tart lemon curd. The second tart had the same shortbread crust and lemon curd, but instead of fluffy cream it was served over blueberry sauce with a little sprinkling of dried mint on top. Both were so delicious, I couldn’t pick a favorite, so I just decided to combine the two!
I’m so happy with the result! The crust is buttery and so tender. The filling is light as air, creamy, and practically melts in your mouth. And the lemon curd on top is the star of the show! So tangy and bright, and perfect for this time of year. The blueberries and mint are an optional garnish, but they add so much incredible flavor. I hope you have a chance to make these lemon cheesecake tarts- you will love them!
And I just don’t think they could look any prettier than they do on these MacKenzie-Childs plates! How do you like that contrast? And the blues and greens tie in so beautifully with the blueberries and mint. This pattern is called Flower Market – Black, and even though MacKenzie-Childs is famous for their Courtly Check, this is my personal favorite. Click the link below to shop for it, as well as the Tic-Tac Posie napkins (also pictured), and get free shipping on your order of $150 or more!
Free Shipping on orders of $150+ at MacKenzie-Childs.
More great tart recipes on my “Pies & Tarts” Pinterest board!
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Lemon Cheesecake Tarts
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 1/2 cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
For the filling
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, (half a block)
- 1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar
- 3/4 cups (178.5 g) heavy cream,, cold
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) lemon curd
- fresh mint, optional garnish
- fresh blueberries, optional garnish
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in the bowl of a food processor, stand mixer, or in a medium mixing bowl.
- Pulse/stir/cut in the butter with a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla, and process/mix/stir until the dough gathers itself into a ball and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
- Divide the chilled dough into 6 equal portions, and roll each to a thickness of 1/8-inch on a lightly floured surface.
- Press the dough gently into 6 mini tart pans, trimming away any excess.
- Prick the bottoms with the times of a fork, to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until set in the middle and slightly golden around the edges.
- Cool completely before filling.
To make the filling:
- Place the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl, and whip on medium speed until smooth.
- In a thin, slow stream, pour the heavy cream down the side of the bowl, while continuing to whip.
- When all the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed, and continue to whip until the filling can hold stiff peaks.
- Divide the cheesecake filling equally between all 6 tart shells. Spread in an even layer.
- Top each tart with about 3 tablespoons lemon curd.
- Garnish with fresh mint and blueberries.
Oh I love Mackenzie Childs and Aurora! I grew up not too far from there and would always drive
Through there on my way too and from college and home. This brings back some memories. Gorgeous tart and plates
Thank you so much! Yes I was completely bewitched by Aurora. Such a pretty little town!
These are so cute, and I love the bright lemon flavor!
Could this tart be any more beautiful? Adding this to my must bake list ASAP!
Hi Allie! Can you tell me what lemon curd you used or did you make your own?
Hey Lisa! I used my own homemade version. The lemon curd recipe is hyperlinked in the recipe card!
This was delicious! I made it in a regular tart pan and made some extra filling, just in case, but I don’t know if it was necessary to do so. I have a quite a bit left over, which I just eat with a spoon. 🙂 I also made my own lemon curd, because I had some time on my hands, and the whole thing turned out perfectly. I am so happy I found this recipe! Thank you, Allie!
My pleasure Kari! I’m so glad you were happy with it! Thanks so much for all the great info. I’m sure other readers will love knowing that this recipe can be made in a regular tart pan as well 🙂
Do these have to stay refrigerated or are they ok at room temp?
Hey Amanda! If they’re going to be kept for more than a day I would say yes, probably a good idea to refrigerate. Hope that’s helpful!
Wow, the farmhouse and grounds are so pretty. 🙂 This tart looks delicious; love the pictures!
Thank you so much Katherine! I’m so glad you enjoyed reading 🙂
That piano with the flowers!!! omg. #goals. Also, this is probably the cutest, tiniest slice of pie I’ve ever seen. I know it’s a tart but that first shot with the mini slice is killing me.
Haha! I love that you love that Karen! Thanks for the awesome comment 🙂
These tarts look delicious, Allie! Your trip sounds amazing, beautiful photos. Especially love the photos of the workshop! 🙂
Thanks Julia! The workshop was so much fun 🙂
WOW!! That is so so beautiful! And I love your choice of china for these pictures. Now I was those lemon delights 🙂
Thank you so much Zainab! I’m so in love with those plates right now!
Could you convert this to one large tart, rather than small ones? How would you adjust the ingredients? P.S. I absolutely love all of your recipes, they are all truly delicious and come out perfect every time!
Aw, I’m so glad to hear that! You can totally do this as one big tart Rachel, and I know that the crust ingredients will work fine as is. You may or may not need a little extra filling. I hope you’ll give it a try! If you do, let me know how it works out, ok?