Rhubarb curd cheesecake with hazelnut crust

This cheesecake was in no way planned, and somehow turned out perfectly! I wasn’t even planning on cheesecake at all until I ended up with three packages of cream cheese that I picked up on super sale at our local supermarket. The idea for rhubard curd on top came from the bag of frozen rhubarb that’s been in my freezer for way too long. And the hazelnut crust? A gigantic bag of raw hazelnuts that I bought last week to make hazelnut cookies. But guess what? Nutty hazelnut crust is the perfect balance for sweet, custardy cheesecake filling, which goes perfectly with tart rhubarb curd. Guess what else? Eating a handful of toasted hazelnuts followed immediately by a spoonful of still-slightly-warm rhubard curd is a really good idea.

Rhubarb curd tartelettes

I grew up eating rhubarb straight out of my grandparent’s garden. Of course as a kid, the extreme tartness was a bit too much for me, but my Grandma sure knew how to make an amazing strawberry-rhubarb pie that won us all over. Since moving to France, I have a tendency to always choose rhubarb desserts when they’re available. One of my favorites is a perfect little rhubarb tartelette covered in a crumble topping. When my own rhubarb plant starting growing this year, I knew that I needed to find my own signature dessert showcasing all that I love about rhubarb. And honestly, what’s better than a curd? I LOVE curds, their silky texture and tart sweetness. This was a no-brainer.

Nectarine and lime curd tart with brown sugar crust

What can I say, I’m inspired by nectarines! My last post was about sweet and spicy nectarine and tomato gazpacho, something I highly recommend. This particular post is all about the fruit, combining caramelized nectarines with a lime and nectarine curd on a brown sugar crust. And yes, it’s as good as it sounds, if not better. Oh, and A l’Américaine is officially one year old! Hurray! Let’s celebrate with this amazing fruit tart. 

Virtually fat-free lemon lime curd

This recipe is quick, simple and virtually fat-free. I discovered it while on the Dukan diet, and it definitely livened up my week. If you’re looking for a traditional lemon curd recipe, you’re probably going to be disappointed. It isn’t low fat for nothing, and doesn’t taste quite as decadent as a true curd does. However, if you’re watching what you eat, or if you just want to be able to eat at least part of your dessert and feel guilt-free, this one’s for you. The texture is perfect, and using sweetener (and not much of it) instead of sugar really lets the citrus flavors shine.

Virtually fat-free lemon curd
Ingredients:

1/2 C lemon juice
1/3 C lime juice
Zest of 3 limes
2 eggs
1/3-1/4 C sweetener, to taste

Begin my energetically whisking the eggs and sweetener in a medium-sized bowl until well incorporated and moussed. Next, simply heat your juices and zest in a small saucepan until it just begins to boil. Very slowly, you should pour the juices into your sugary eggs, whisking all the while. Whisk for a minute or two before adding your curd back to the pan and heating it slowly over low heat until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. That’s it, enjoy!