Cheesecake Al Limoncello Food

LIMONCELLO TORTA

Steps:

• For the candied lemon peel: Cut the lemons into wheels about 1/4-inch-thick and remove the peel from the fruit, keeping the peels intact. Cut the peels in half into long strips. Bring 4 cups cold water and the lemon peels to a boil in a small saucepot. As soon as the peels come to a boil, drain the water from the peels. Repeat this process three times with fresh cold water to remove the bitterness from the peels. Drain the peels and set them aside.
• Combine the granulated sugar with 2 cups water in a small saucepot to make a simple syrup. Bring the syrup to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the lemon peels. Simmer the peels until the white pith is translucent, about 40 minutes. Cool the peels in the syrup and then drain, saving the syrup for another purpose (lemon simple syrup is great in a lemon drop martini). Lay the peels on a mesh cooling rack to dry, about 2 hours. Store them packed in granulated sugar in an airtight container at room temperature.
• For the lemon curd: Remove the zest from the lemons (without the bitter white pith) with a carrot peeler. Pulse the zest with the granulated sugar in a food processor until the zest has been finely minced into the sugar. Cream the butter with the sugar and zest at medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Crack the eggs into a small bowl to ensure there are no shells, then add the eggs one at a time to the mixer until combined. Add the lemon juice and salt and blend until combined. Place the mixture into a medium saucepot. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lemon curd is ready when it reaches 170 degrees F. Transfer the lemon curd to a metal bowl and cool the bowl in an ice water bath, then cover with plastic wrap pressed against its surface and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the limoncello dip: Bring the limoncello and 2 cups water to a simmer in a medium saucepot set over medium heat. Allow the mixture to simmer for 4 minutes to cook off the alcohol in the limoncello. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool.
• For the ricotta filling: Add the ricotta, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and limoncello to a bowl. Mix to combine. Set aside at room temperature.
• For the whipped cream topping: Whip the cream and granulated sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks are formed, then hold for the assembly of the torta. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Dip the ladyfingers halfway into the limoncello dip and line a 9-by-13-inch pan with the soaked ladyfingers. Once the bottom is covered, spread the ricotta mixture over the top evenly with an offset spatula. Place a second row of dipped ladyfingers on top of the ricotta mixture. Spread the lemon curd on top of the ladyfingers with the spatula. Place the third and final layer of dipped ladyfingers on top of the lemon curd. Spread the whipped cream topping over the ladyfingers. Refrigerate overnight. Serve well chilled, garnishing slices with candied lemon peel.

LIMONCELLO RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 9 x13 x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl and mix until moistened. Press the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and 1/4 inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes and set aside to cool.
• For the filling, place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the ricotta and beat for another minute, scraping down the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the limoncello, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat for one minute. With the mixer on medium-low, add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix until the batter is smooth. Pour over the crust.
• Place the baking pan in a roasting pan large enough to hold the baking pan completely flat. Place the pan in the oven and carefully pour enough of the hottest tap water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until almost set in the center. (It will still be a little jiggly when you shake the pan gently.) Turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the oven in the water bath for 15 minutes to prevent the cheesecake from cracking. Take the baking pan out of the water bath and place on a rack to cool completely. Wrap the entire pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with extra grated lemon zest, cut in 12 pieces, and serve cold.

LIMONCELLO NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Stir together crust ingredients. Press firmly and evenly in bottom of pie plate.
• Bake 9 minutes. Cool 20 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat cheesecake ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; spoon over crust. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

LIMONCELLO TIRAMISU`

Steps:

• Get the Italian Lady Fingers HERE To make the lemon curd: See Video HERE In a bowl, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks together and set aside. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan combine the sugar, lemon zest, juice and egg mixture together and whisk on a medium low heat until mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon. About 15-20 minutes. Stir in butter and then remove from heat when it's melted. Pour the lemon curd through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl straining out any lumps. Press plastic wrap directly into the lemon curd and cool to room temperature before using. To make the filling: Scoop out 1/4 cup of the cooled Lemon Curd and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining cooled lemon curd with the softened mascarpone cheese. Mix with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Set aside. Using clean beaters in a separate bowl combine the heavy cream and confectioners sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the whipped cream into the mascarpone/lemon curd mixture until well combined. Set aside. To make the soak: In a shallow dish with high sides combine the Limoncello and water. If you prefer a less strong soak you can substitute some of the Limoncello with water. Dip each lady finger cookie into the Limoncello mixture. Do not leave the cookies soaking or they will absorb too much liquid and get soft. Only dip for a maximum of 5 seconds. Lay the cookies in a 9x13 pan (I used a glass Pyrex) break the cookies to fit them in if necessary. I did two rows of 7 cookies vertically and two rows of 2 cookies horizontally, but just make sure the cookies fit nicely together. Spoon 1/2 of the lemon filling over the first layer of cookies. Add another layer of cookies and spread the remaining lemon filling over them. Add a third layer of cookies and top with the remaining whipped cream. Using the remaining 1/4 cup of lemon curd, spoon it over the top of the whipped cream and use the back of a small spoon to make swirly designs. Decorate with fresh lemon slices.

MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Stir together cookie crumbs and butter in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup crumb mixture for sprinkling over cheesecake, then pat remainder onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of springform pan (about 1 inch thick). Put pan in a shallow baking pan and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, about 25 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Make filling while crust bakes:
• Beat cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and salt and mix at low speed until combined. Pour into cooled crust and bake until cake is set and puffed around edge but still trembles slightly when pan is shaken gently, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly in springform pan on rack, about 20 minutes. (Cheesecake will continue to set as it cools.) Leave oven on.
• Make topping:
• Stir together sour cream, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and spoon over cheesecake, spreading gently and evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge.
• Bake cheesecake until topping is set, about 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge to help prevent cracking. Sprinkle top with reserved crumbs and cool completely in pan on rack, then chill, loosely covered, at least 8 hours.

LIMONCELLO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a large spring form 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.

CHEESECAKE AL LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Crust: Crumb the cookies, mix with the graham cracker crumbs and melt butter and press the mixture in the bottom and about an inch up the sides of a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.
• Batter: Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time without excessive beating to avoid removing the air, followed by mixing in the remaining batter ingredients.
• Pour into the pan and bake at 350F for about an hour or until the center of the surface is somewhat solid.
• Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes.
• Topping: Mix together the sour cream, sugar and limoncello and spread evenly over the top.
• Bake another 10 minutes; remove and let cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving.