Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake Squares Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine wafer crumbs, butter and lemon zest. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 325° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool., In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, cream, ricotta, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla until smooth. Beat in lemon juice and zest. Add eggs, beat on low speed just until combined. Pour filling into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet., Bake at 325° for 70-80 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with mint and lemon if desired.

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.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, sugar and lemon zest; set aside. , In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, oil, lemon juice and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Carefully spoon ricotta mixture on top of cake batter. , Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight. Dust with confectioners' sugar; cut into squares. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking 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.
• *Limoncello liqueur can be found at most liquor stores and in the liquor department of some specialty markets. If limoncello liqueur is unavailable at stores near you, use the following recipe to make your own limoncello liqueur.
• Limoncello:
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
• Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.
• Makes: 7 cups
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Inactive Prep Time: 4 days and 4 hours

Steps:

• For the crust: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with the baking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing at least 2 inches of overhang on the two long sides. Lightly coat the parchment with the baking spray.
• Combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor or gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Add the melted butter and pulse until evenly moistened. Press the mixture about 1 inch up the sides of the prepared cake pan, then press to cover the bottom evenly. Bake until the edges just become golden and the crust is fragrant, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
• Use your fingers to rub together the sugar, lemon zest and salt in a small bowl until the mixture is fragrant. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the cream cheese on low speed, then raise the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl, then beat for another few seconds to combine.
• Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla on low speed until combined. Mix in half of the beaten eggs and until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and paddle well and then mix in the remaining half of the beaten eggs on low speed just until combined.
• Pour the batter over the freshly baked warm crust and spread smooth. Place the lemon curd in a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe lines of the lemon curd across the batter (alternately, spoon small dollops of curd across the batter.) Use a toothpick to swirl the curd and batter together slightly.
• Place the baking pan in a slightly larger baking pan or roasting pan. Place in the center of the oven. Very carefully pour about 1 inch of steaming hot water into the larger pan to create a water bath. Gently slide the oven rack back in place and close the door. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the center barely jiggles, 42 to 45 minutes. The temperature at the center of the cheesecake should be about 150 degrees F.
• Once baked, turn off the oven, prop open the door and allow the cheesecake to cool down inside the oven for 45 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely before refrigerating for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• To serve, use the parchment overhang to pull the cheesecake out of the pan. Peel down the sides of the parchment and cut into 24 bars. Serve immediately or store tightly covered for up to 3 days.