Sunset Key Lime Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Combine cookie or graham cracker crumbs with butter or margarine. Press into bottom and partially up sides of 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate.
• In a large bowl, beat with an electric mixer the cream cheese, sugar, lime peel, and cornstarch until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, blending just until smooth. Add key lime juice with mixer on low. Finish mixing by hand. Do not over beat, or cake will crack during baking. Pour batter into prepared crust.
• Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 55 to 65 minutes, or until set. To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on lower rack during baking.
• Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes with the door open at least 4 inches. Remove from oven. Refrigerate cake overnight, and up to three days.

Steps:

• FOR THE CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly grease the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with butter. Do not grease the sides of the pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with foil to prevent leakage. In a food processor, fitted with the steel blade attachment, pulverize the graham craham crackers into crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and mix with a rubber spatula. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of the springform pan, reaching all the way to the sides so it forms a seal against leakage. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and cook whle you make the filling; lower the heat to 325F.
• FOR THE FILLING AND TOPPING: With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes or until soft and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 15 seconds between additions to make sure each one is thoroughy incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, with a rubber spatula and beat for a minute longer. With the machine running, slowly beat in in the half-and-half and then 2 tablespoons Key lime juice. Set aside 1/2 cup of the cheesecake mixture to which you should add the remaining Key lime juice and transfer this to a liquid measuring cup or pitcher.
• FOR THE CAKE: Pour the cheesecake mixtue over the baked crust, then por a thin stream of Key Lime-boosted cheesecake mixture over the top and scatter the grated lime zest over that. With a toothpick or wooden skewer, swirl the Key lime mixture and zest into the batter the way you would marbelize a cake. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the mixture is set; the cake will appear to be jiggly, but will firm up upon standing.
• TO SERVE: Remove the cake from the oven and place on a rack ro cool to room temperature in the pan. Unlock the springform and remove the cake, but leave the cake on the bottom of the pan. . Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving or before attempting to remove the cake from the springform bottom.