Limoncello Cheesecake Squares

Giada De Laurentiis

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Summers in Capri

Rated 5 stars out of 5
  • Rate This Recipe
  • Read 71 Reviews
Total Time:
11 hr 35 min
Prep
20 min
Inactive
10 hr 0 min
Cook
1 hr 15 min
Yield:
12 to 16 servings
Level:
Easy
x

Save To My Recipe Box

Please limit to 20 characters

Saving Recipe

Adding Recipe

Or Do Not Add

Success

This recipe was saved to your Folder_Name folder.

x

Save To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to save this recipe to your Recipe Box!!

25 Characters Max

Enter Time:

:
:

You can create up to five timers

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 8 ounces purchased biscotti
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
  • 1 (12-ounce) container fresh whole milk ricotta, drained, at room temperature
  • 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar1/2 cup limoncello liqueur*, store bought or homemade, recipe follows
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract4 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions

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:

  • 10 lemons
  • 1 (750-ml) bottle vodka
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar

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

Print Recipe

COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

    

Sign in

All fields are required.

E-mail Address:

Password:

Remember me on this computer

Signing in

Please enter your email address and we will send your password

E-mail Address

Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

Not a member?

Sign up for My Food Network to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

It's free and easy.

Review This Recipe

You must be signed in to review this recipe.

Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 71 reviews

  • on December 23, 2011

    Flag

    Made it a while ago and it was a hit every time. My new favorite!!!

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
  • on April 18, 2011

    Flag

    Loved everything about it but would probably consider using a spring form pan for a standard cheesecake format.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
  • on June 18, 2010

    Flag

    First time used cold eggs and followed recipe exactly, and the middle was too soft. Second time I used lemon biscotti (packages of 8 individually wrapped pieces and a few pieces of almond biscotti. Also used 8 TBL of butter, and pressed into TWO 8X8 pans, so the crust AND the filling was thinner. Watched the video of Giada making it, and realized that EVERTHING blends better when warm. I also did NOT drain the ricotta the first time, and DID DRAIN IT the second time. VERY important step that I missed, and I think the first time the filling was too thin. My Italian friend (from Salerno thought it was wonderful. This is now a family favorite.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
Advertisement

Free Recipe of the Day Newsletter

Let Food Network chefs plan what's for dinner, with quick and easy recipes delivered to your inbox daily.

Ads by Google