Lime Cheesecake

Like I had said, limes were on sale at the grocery store. A large bag of them came home with me and found rest in the fruit bowl. Their destiny was cheesecake and unbeknownst to them, they were going to be stripped of their zest and squeezed of their juice. Ouch.

A bag of frozen raspberries came home too, but I was too conflicted when it came to how I wanted to incorporate them into the cake. Line the crust with them? Make a sauce and marble the cake with it? Drizzle sauce over the top? Guess what, they never made it into the cake. I just couldn't make up my lame mind. So they will sit in the freezer until I can settle on a resting place for them.

It was most surely me that ate all of that. All by myself.

This cheesecake is tart citrus-lovers fantasy. So very tart and sweet. And because I prefer sweeter cheesecakes over cheesy cheesecakes, I developed this recipe to be just that. Something both Ethan and I noticed about this cake was that it was incredibly light. Maybe that's because I elected to use less eggs in this than the normal cheesecake? I dunno, but it was lighter than most cheesecake and I liked that.

The crust is a little bit different because I opted to add pecans to it. I like adding nuts to crumb crusts. It adds a little extra something. While make the crust, my baby goat Van was nipping at my knees for a taste. So I handed him a few pecan. He left the room and then came back for more. He was given more and then left again. This went on, while I assumed that he was eating them. But no, Ethan informed me that Van was making a pile of them in the next room. The boy was storing nuts, like a squirrel. Gosh, I love him.



For the crust:
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, about 10 graham cracker sheets obliterated in the food processor
1/2 cup pecans
3 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted

Set oven to 350 degrees. Spray a springform pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine graham cracker crumbs, pecans and sugar. Process until pecans are crumbs. With machine running, pour in butter and process until all crumbs are moistened. Pour crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press mixture 1 inch up the sides and on the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until crust is slightly darkened in color. Set aside to cool completely.

For the filling:
2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lime juice, about 6 limes
Zest of 3 limes, about 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt

In large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and sugar. Beat on medium speed until smooth and well combined. Add lime juice, zest and vanilla and mix until combined. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in flour and salt until just combined.

Pour filling into cooled crust and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the cheesecake is set. Cool on cooling rack for 1 hour and chill in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Rookie's Notes: The citrus tartness mellowed over a few days. Not sure if that matters to you, but I thought I should let you know what I observed.

Dang, it feels good to post food again.