Limoncello Cheesecake Squares

I’m going to share with you three of the most important tricks of the trade to making creamy and crack-free cheesecakes of your own. 

#1.  Always place your cheesecake in a water bath. The water bath slows down the baking so that the filling cooks evenly, creating the creamiest cheesecake imaginable. This is easy to do with a recipe such as this, where the bars are made in a baking pan. Not so easy with a traditional cheesecake made in a spring-form pan. Since spring-form pans are comprised of two pieces that come apart, it is imperative to wrap the spring-form pan well with two or three layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil before placing it in the water bath. If you fail to do this most vital step, you will have waterlogged and completely ruined cheesecake.  By the way, any cheesecake recipe can be modified to be made in a baking pan (such as these squares) instead of in a spring-form.  So if you don’t own a spring-form or just don’t want to hassle with one – use a glass or metal baking pan in its place. 

#2.  Mix all your ingredients well before adding the eggs. Then always (whether the recipe says so or not) add your eggs, one at a time, and never over-mix or beat on high speed.  Doing either of those things will incorporate too much air into the batter and will cause your cheesecake to crack in the center. 

#3. The importance of “room temperature” ingredients; cold eggs do not blend properly but room temperature eggs are malleable and will mix in better and act as a binder for other ingredients. Cold dairy products will coagulate and clump in the batter and cause the need to over-mix. All in all, room temperature ingredients create a lump free and velvety smooth batter. So unless you are making pastry or if the recipe states otherwise; this rule is true for all baking, not just cheesecake. 

There you go, now you too, can be a cheesecake master. One last little tip; since you’re using Limoncello as the liquid, you don’t use the juice from the lemons you zest. Be sure and juice those lemons ASAP, otherwise they will dry out since they are missing their “skin”.  And if you don’t think you’ll use the juice in the next day or so, place it in muffin tins and freeze – then pop out and place in marked zip-locks bags. 

FYI – You can use packaged store bought biscotti.

 Pam nonstick cooking spray

 8 ounces purchased biscotti

 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest, divided

 12-ounces whole milk ricotta, drained, at room temperature

 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

 1  1/4 cups sugar

 1/2 cup Limoncello liqueur, at room temperature

 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 4 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with Pam. 

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 of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a cooling rack. 

In a clean food processor bowl; blend the ricotta, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth, 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, do not over-mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between the second and third egg. 

Pour the batter over the cooled crust. 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 filling moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. The cake will become firm when it is cold. 

Transfer pan to a rack; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut into squares and serve.

Makes 12 to 16 squares

Recipe Source: http://www.lespetitesgourmettes.com/recipes/limoncello-treats/#more-7182