Limoncello Cheesecake
Adults Only Cheesecake
Limoncello cheesecake is one of my Nonna Lizzie favourite experiments. For our Sicilian Saturday dinner, I wanted to make a citrusy dessert. But I wanted to do something different, so I thought why not throw in a shot of Limoncello?!
It was a hit. My friends and I loved it.
The Limoncello is mixed in with the cheese, so you get a fluffy whiff of alcohol right in the middle of the cake. The lemon curd is citrusy, sweet and velvety. This is definitely a cake Nonna Lizzie will be serving for generations to come.
Ingredients
Base:
1 1/2 cup Crushed Biscuits (I used Arnotts Malt O Milk)
1 cup Desiccated Coconut
1/2 cup Crushed Walnuts
1/4 cup Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Melted Butter
Cheese:
Ricotta Cheese
Thickened Cream (blend in NutriBullet for 30 secs to thicken the cream which turns into a fluffier texture)
1/4 cup Limoncello
Lemon Curd:
2 Lemons (Juice)
2 Eggs
1 cup Sugar
1 tablespoon Corn Flour
Vanilla essence
Lemon Zest
Turmeric (or colour)
Garnish:
Sliced Lemons
Optional: Crushed pistachios & dried rose petals
Sliced Lemons
Method
Base
CRUSH the base biscuits (I break up pieces then run it through the Nutribullet).
MIX all the other base ingredients and the biscuits in a large bowl.
BAKE the base for 15 mins @ 180 deg, remove then cool.
Cheese
4. BLITZ the thickened cream in a blender (I only have a Nutribullet) for 30 secs. This will beef up the thickened cream so it becomes EXTRA thick and fluffy.
5. MIX the thickened cream, ricotta, limoncello, vanilla essence into a large bowl, then pour onto the base.
5. BAKE the base and cheese for another 30 mins.
Nacho preferred Amaretto : p
Lemon Curd
6. HEAT up sugar and corn flour in a medium pan first.
7. ADD in the coconut milk, eggs, lemon squeeze and a pinch of turmeric, mix until you have a smooth curd.
8. POUR Lemon Curd onto cheesecake and bake for another 15 mins.
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.
Garnish
Finish with fresh lemon slices, crushed pistachios, lemon zest and dried rose petals.
Tips:
You can skip the walnuts for the base, but I prefer the base to have a crunchy nuttier texture. If you want something less nutty, you can use Graham crackers.
Don’t over blitz the thickened cream, otherwise it will turn into a smoothie! Go slow, check it every 10-15 seconds. When it’s fluffy, that’s when you can stop.
For the lemon curd, you only need to add in a pinch of turmeric. This will help you get the bright yellow colour you’re looking for.
For digestif, we served neat Limoncello and Amaretto. Either is an amazing accompaniment!
A Delicious Adults Only Lemon Cheesecake!