Thursday, August 12, 2010

key lime cheesecake recipe.



photo from collinstreet.com

i've made cheesecake a few times, and i made key lime pie once before,
but last week for my mother-in-law's birthday i decided to make my first key lime cheesecake.
it turned out really summery, tangy and light!

i love this recipe because the ingredients are pretty minimal.
the only annoying thing about cheesecakes is that you have to plan ahead,
 because they have to chill for about 4 hours (plus prep time and baking time),
 but it's so worth it!

ingredients:

1 1/4 c. honey maid graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. butter, melted
3 packages philadelphia light cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3 limes (or buy a big bag of key limes)
3 eggs
light cool whip
optional: add a drop of green food coloring to get a very pale minty color

directions:

1. heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. crush about a pack of graham crackers in a large ziploc using a rolling pin and then add the melted butter. press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
3. beat cream cheese & sugar in large bowl with kitchen aid or electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
4. zest 2 of the limes using a microplane or a grater with small holes. when zesting, be careful not to remove any of the white inner part of the peel.
5. juice 2 of the limes (i use a hand juicer). if you really want it to be "key lime cheesecake" feel free to use a bunch of key limes instead, but juicing key limes is a real pain)
6. add lime peel and juice; mix well.
7. add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. be careful not to overmix.
8. pour over crust. bake 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set.
9. refrigerate uncovered at least 4 hours.
10. just before serving, cover with dollops of whip cream and garnish with thin slices of the extra lime. you could also try sprinkling blueberries and/or mandarin oranges for some pretty color.
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

general cheesecake baking tips:
(they make a big difference!)

+ make sure not to overbeat ingredients (it will let in too much air)
+ put a shallow pan of hot water on bottom rack while baking cheesecake to prevent it from cracking
+ don't peek too early at the cheesecake. only open the oven towards the end of baking time. opening it too early lets cool air in and cheesecake will often crack.
+ to test for doneness, gently touch middle of cheesecake with finger. it should feel barely firm to the touch but jiggle when shaken. it will set further when chilled.
+ cool cheesecake for 30-60 minutes before putting in fridge
+ before serving, run a knife around the inside of the rim to separate the crust from the rim. then you can remove the rim without it sticking to the sides.

yum!!!! you could also make cheesecake in muffin tins or in a 9x13 pan (baking times will change of course)

2 comments:

  1. I'm so sad because I want to make this but we dont' have graham crackers here. I'll have to find a substitute!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. that looks wonderful. the lime part makes it sound somehow healthier & lighter. i can't wait to try it!

    (NO GRAHAM CRACKERS JENESSA? how do you make smores? sounds like you need a care package with some graham crackers pronto!)

    ReplyDelete

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