Limoncello Cheesecake Squares
Serves 12
Giada De Laurentiis
Nonstick cooking spray
8 ounces purchased biscotti
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter -- melted
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 container fresh whole milk ricotta -- drained, at room
temperature (12-ounce)
2 packages cream cheese -- at room temperature (8-ounce packages)
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup limoncello liqueur* -- store bought or homemade, recipe follows
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs -- at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9 by 9 by 2-
inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Finely grind the
biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and 1 tablespoon
of lemon zest, and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the
crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan.
Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust
completely on a cooling rack.
Blend the ricotta in a clean food processor until smooth. Add the
cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine
occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Blend in
the limoncello, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon zest.
Add the eggs one at a time, and pulse just until blended. Scrape down
the sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the baking
pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting
pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until the
cheesecake is golden and the center of the cake moves slightly when
the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour (the cake will become firm
when it is cold).
Transfer the cake to a rack; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the
cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut the cake
into squares and serve.
*Limoncello liqueur can be found at most liquor stores and in the
liquor department of some specialty markets. If limoncello liqueur is
unavailable at stores near you, use the following recipe to make your
own limoncello liqueur.
Limoncello
10 lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long
strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp
knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the
pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over
the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the
vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until
the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar
syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature
overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the
peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and
refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.
Yield: 7 cups
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 4 days and 4 hours
Exported from A Cook's Books -- Recipe management for Macintosh
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