Limoncello Cheesecake

 

Ingredients

• 8 oz biscotti (I used vanilla)
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 2-3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1 (12-ounce) container whole milk ricotta (at room temperature)
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup limoncello liqueur*, store bought or homemade, recipe here
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

How to make Limoncello Cheesecake Squares

Go here for more pics.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 9 by 2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. 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 pan. Bake til the crust is golden, approx 15 minutes. Cool.

Blend the ricotta in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Add cream cheese and sugar and mix well. Mix in the limoncello, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix just until blended.

Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the baking pan in a larger glass pan. Add enough hot water into the larger 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 firmer when it is cold).

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! YUM!
Serve with a chilled glass of limoncello after a nice Italian meal.