WHITE CHOCOLATE KEY LIME CHEESECAKE
Adapted from source: Roberts Ranch Museum Cookbook by the Friends of the Collier County Museum in Naples, Florida as published in BEST OF THE BEST FROM FLORIDA COOKBOOK.
FOR THE CRUST:
2 Tbsp. butter (I used more--enought so that the crust mixture felt like wet sand.)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
FOR THE FILLING:
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 pint heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
9 oz. white chocolate, melted
Juice of 4 Key limes (I used 1/4 cup juice.)
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
TO PREPARE THE CRUST:
In bowl, combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and crumbs. Mix ingredients and pat into bottom of 10-inch springform pan.
TO PREPARE THE FILLIING:
In mixer bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth; add heavy cream, sour cream, beaten eggs, sugar, melted butter, flour, cornstarch, melted white chocolate, juice from limes and vanilla. Pour onto Crust in springform pan.
Bake 1 hour; turn oven off and leave for 1/2 hour with door closed. Chill 12 hours.
Notes from Wigs:
1) 4 Key limes = 2-2/3 Tablespoons juice, but I added 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed key lime juice, and the finished product was delicious!
2) I baked my cheesecake in a hot (boiling) water bath in a 325-degree F preheated oven for approximately 1 hour & 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle of the cheesecake registered between 145-150 degrees F. (This baking process is described in much detail in a Cooks Illustrated magazine for a pumpking cheesecake that was featured about 2 or 3 years ago.)
I then removed the cheesecake from the oven, kept it IN the water bath, and set everything on a cake rack for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes I removed the cake from the water bath and let it continue cooling on the cake rack which took another 3 hours or so. After the cake was completely cool, I refrigerated it overnight and garnished the individual slices with key lime slices and fanned strawberries. A really pretty and tasty dessert for Christmas or for anytime of the year!
3) I also tried a tip I read on the Net somewhere. After tamping down the crust, I wrapped my cheesecake pan (or springform pan if that is what you use) in a large Reynolds oven bag and then wrapped 2 sections of heavy duty foil over the bag and then baked as described above. Nary a drop of water seeped into my cheesecake! I was thrilled as every now and again, I'll somehow or another have problems with a bain marie, but nothing leaked through this time when using the oven bag plus the 2 squares of heavy foil.
Enjoy! Caryn aka Wigs
http://www.recipelink.com/mf/2/20509
Adapted from source: Roberts Ranch Museum Cookbook by the Friends of the Collier County Museum in Naples, Florida as published in BEST OF THE BEST FROM FLORIDA COOKBOOK.
FOR THE CRUST:
2 Tbsp. butter (I used more--enought so that the crust mixture felt like wet sand.)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
FOR THE FILLING:
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 pint heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
9 oz. white chocolate, melted
Juice of 4 Key limes (I used 1/4 cup juice.)
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
TO PREPARE THE CRUST:
In bowl, combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and crumbs. Mix ingredients and pat into bottom of 10-inch springform pan.
TO PREPARE THE FILLIING:
In mixer bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth; add heavy cream, sour cream, beaten eggs, sugar, melted butter, flour, cornstarch, melted white chocolate, juice from limes and vanilla. Pour onto Crust in springform pan.
Bake 1 hour; turn oven off and leave for 1/2 hour with door closed. Chill 12 hours.
Notes from Wigs:
1) 4 Key limes = 2-2/3 Tablespoons juice, but I added 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed key lime juice, and the finished product was delicious!
2) I baked my cheesecake in a hot (boiling) water bath in a 325-degree F preheated oven for approximately 1 hour & 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle of the cheesecake registered between 145-150 degrees F. (This baking process is described in much detail in a Cooks Illustrated magazine for a pumpking cheesecake that was featured about 2 or 3 years ago.)
I then removed the cheesecake from the oven, kept it IN the water bath, and set everything on a cake rack for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes I removed the cake from the water bath and let it continue cooling on the cake rack which took another 3 hours or so. After the cake was completely cool, I refrigerated it overnight and garnished the individual slices with key lime slices and fanned strawberries. A really pretty and tasty dessert for Christmas or for anytime of the year!
3) I also tried a tip I read on the Net somewhere. After tamping down the crust, I wrapped my cheesecake pan (or springform pan if that is what you use) in a large Reynolds oven bag and then wrapped 2 sections of heavy duty foil over the bag and then baked as described above. Nary a drop of water seeped into my cheesecake! I was thrilled as every now and again, I'll somehow or another have problems with a bain marie, but nothing leaked through this time when using the oven bag plus the 2 squares of heavy foil.
Enjoy! Caryn aka Wigs
http://www.recipelink.com/mf/2/20509