KEY LIME CHEESECAKE

By á-46

This one is the perfect marriage of tart key lime
flavor with a luscious, creamy texture. Sour cream is the secret. It
not only lightens what could otherwise be a heavy dessert, but it
also reinforces the pucker-factor of the lime juice with a tang of its
own.

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRUST, COMBINE:
• 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. table salt
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• FOR THE FILLING, BEAT:
• 3 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz. each), softened
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 tsp. packed minced lime zest
• ½ tsp. table salt
• ADD:
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup Key lime juice
• Boiling water
• FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM, HEAT:
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 4 oz white chocolate bar, finely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat the inside of a 9-inch
springform pan with nonstick spray.
For the crust, combine crumbs, sugar, and salt,
then stir in butter; press into bottom and partially
up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust until golden,
10 minutes; cool completely. Wrap bottom and
sides of pan with plastic wrap, then foil.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
For the filling, beat cream cheese, sugar, zest,
and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the
paddle attachment on medium speed until
smooth. Reduce speed to low and keep mixer
running.
Add sour cream, then drizzle eggs down the side
of the bowl; blend until combined, periodically
scraping down sides of bowl and paddle. Once
smooth, blend in lime juice until incorporated.
Pour filling into crust, smoothing the top. Transfer
cheesecake to a roasting pan; place in oven.
Pour boiling water into roasting pan half
the way up sides of springform pan.
Bake cheesecake until edges are set but center
is still very jiggly, 1¼ hours.
Turn off oven; leave cheesecake inside, 1 hour
more. Transfer cheesecake to a rack; cool to
room temperature, 2 hours, then cover with
plastic wrap, and chill overnight.
For the whipped cream, heat cream in a
saucepan over medium to a simmer; pour over
chocolate in a bowl. Cover bowl, let sit 5 minutes,
then stir until smooth. Chill white chocolate cream
until very cold, overnight, then beat with a mixer
to medium peaks. Pipe whipped cream around
perimeter of cheesecake.