This is a recipe I picked up from Giada De Laurentiis and is among the most requested desserts I make. I usually have a bottle of Limoncello around the house, it doesn't take much to make the cheesecake so if you buy a bottle and just keep it for this, it'll last for years and years. This time I decided to make my own Limoncello. It's about a 4 day, minimum, process but I let mine go for a little bit longer to give it more lemon.
Limoncello
Mason Jar
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. (Mine will go for at least a week or 2, maybe longer)
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.
Limoncello Cheesecake
Crust
2 cups Ginger Snaps
6 Tbs Sugar
6 Tbs Butter
Run the ginger snaps through a food processor till they're crumbled up really well. Combine with sugar and butter and press into a greased springform pan. Bake at 325 dF for 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 dF
Filling
3 bricks Cream Cheese
1 cup Sugar
2 Tbs Limoncello
1 Tbs Lemon Zest
1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 Eggs
1 Egg White
Mix all ingredients except the eggs at a low speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix on low speed. When all is blended pour into the pan and tap to remove an air bubbles. Bake at 300 dF for 60 minutes or until the center is just set. Turn the oven off and allow the cake to cool in the oven for an additional 60 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen it before removing hte springform side. Cool in the fridge for 4 hours.
Topping (this is what makes the cheesecake)
3/4 cup Sugar
2 Tbs Cornstarch
1/2 cup Water
3 Tbs Limoncello
1 Egg Yolk
Optional
1/2 tsp Fatalii powder (only for chiliheads)
Beat the egg yolk till it is a pale yellow. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small pot and add the liquids, not the egg yet, slowly and you stir. Bring it to a slow boil continuing to stir until thickened. Stir a tablespoon of the hot sauce into the egg yolk to temper it then add it to the sauce. Continue to stir and heat until jelled. Spoon the sauce over individual slices when serving.
I hope y'all enjoy this as much as we do. I usually make 2 batches of the sauce, one with the Fatalii and one without.
RM
Limoncello
Mason Jar
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. (Mine will go for at least a week or 2, maybe longer)
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.
Limoncello Cheesecake
Crust
2 cups Ginger Snaps
6 Tbs Sugar
6 Tbs Butter
Run the ginger snaps through a food processor till they're crumbled up really well. Combine with sugar and butter and press into a greased springform pan. Bake at 325 dF for 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 dF
Filling
3 bricks Cream Cheese
1 cup Sugar
2 Tbs Limoncello
1 Tbs Lemon Zest
1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 Eggs
1 Egg White
Mix all ingredients except the eggs at a low speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix on low speed. When all is blended pour into the pan and tap to remove an air bubbles. Bake at 300 dF for 60 minutes or until the center is just set. Turn the oven off and allow the cake to cool in the oven for an additional 60 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen it before removing hte springform side. Cool in the fridge for 4 hours.
Topping (this is what makes the cheesecake)
3/4 cup Sugar
2 Tbs Cornstarch
1/2 cup Water
3 Tbs Limoncello
1 Egg Yolk
Optional
1/2 tsp Fatalii powder (only for chiliheads)
Beat the egg yolk till it is a pale yellow. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small pot and add the liquids, not the egg yet, slowly and you stir. Bring it to a slow boil continuing to stir until thickened. Stir a tablespoon of the hot sauce into the egg yolk to temper it then add it to the sauce. Continue to stir and heat until jelled. Spoon the sauce over individual slices when serving.
I hope y'all enjoy this as much as we do. I usually make 2 batches of the sauce, one with the Fatalii and one without.
RM
