Oma's No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

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My lemon cheesecake recipe is one you'll make over and over. WHY? Because it's so good and so easy. German? Not at all. But, it fits great after a big meal (whether German or not) ... when one wants something sweet, yet light. It's preparation is easy and quick. No baking required. It does need to stand for a 4 - 5 hours in the fridge before serving.

That's what makes it so fantastic. Make it the day before ... no final rushing around when company's there. A perfect ending to a great meal ... that's why I like it so much. It's a recipe I like doing with the granddaughters ... have had some great fun times doing so. They choose which flavors of jello to use and which fruits to garnish with. 

Oma's No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 oz package of lemon jello (gelatin)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups graham crumbs or chocolate cookie crumbs
• ⅓ cup melted butter
• 8 oz package cream cheese (room temperature)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 lemon
• 12 ounce tub Cool Whip (1 liter or 4 cups)
• strawberries to garnish

Instructions:

• Into a small bowl, mix the jello powder and the boiling water. Stir until jello is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
• Mix together the crumbs and the butter. Reserve about ¼ cup and press the remaining mixture into a 10-inch springform* pan.
• Using a mixer, whip the cream cheese and the sugar. Zest the lemon and add about 1 Tbsp zest to the cheese mixture. Add about 2 tsp of lemon juice to the mixture as well.
• Check that the jello mixture has cooled to about lukewarm. If it is still hot, place the bowl into a cold water bath and stir until the jello has cooled, but NOT set.
• Add the cooled jello to the cream cheese. Mix thoroughly. 
• Fold in the Cool Whip and gently stir until all is mixed well.
• Spoon over the crust and level top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for several hours. 
• Serve, sprinkled with the reserved crumb mixture and garnished with sliced strawberries.
• Makes 12 servings.

Hints:

• Want to use whipping cream instead of Cool Whip? You'll need to use 2 cups of whipping cream, whip it until it has soft peaks and has doubled in volume. Fold that into the cooled jello instead.

I played around with several quick dessert recipes and this luscious lemon cheesecake was the winner. It's really a combination of several recipes ... until it was just what I was looking for. 

Since then, I've used orange jello with orange juice, orange zest, and decorated with mandarin slices. This was a combination created by my granddaughter, Lydia, for one of our summer outdoor family picnics. Wunderbar!

I love no bake dessert recipes! I'm going to be experimenting with more ... especially once the summer heat wave hits. 

Cool Whip versus Whipped Cream

Using freshly whipped cream is always better. However, where I live, whipping cream is quite expensive and I only buy it when necessary. Cool Whip, on the other hand, is often much cheaper and can be kept in the freezer for those emergencies that pop up. 

I don't often use Cool Whip, but I usually keep a tub in the freezer, just in case. Since we live out in the country, going to town is a day trip. Having items on hand, in the freezer or pantry, is always wise. 

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Some German Cakes with Fruit ...

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