Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups wheat-meal biscuits (or about 26 graham cracker squares) ground to crumbs
- Pinch salt
- 1/3 cup melted butter
Filling:
- 3 habanero peppers
- 2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 cup
- 24 ounces cream cheese
- Pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 lime, zested
- 1 very juicy or 2 less juicy limes, juiced
- 1 lime sliced thinly, for garnish
- 1whole habenero, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Position top rack in the center of the oven. Place a baking pan on the rack below this. Boil water.
Make crust: Mix the crumbs and salt together in a small bowl, then add butter and stir to mix. Set aside 1/4cup for topping. Press the rest into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Turn on kitchen or stove exhaust fan. Skewer and roast the habaneros over an open flame (gas burner is fine) and set them to steam under a towel. When they are cool enough to handle, put on plastic gloves if desired. Peel and deseed habaneros, then pound in a mortar with the 2 tablespoons of sugar until a coarse paste results.
Cream the cream cheese, then add remaining sugar and salt. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time until incorporated. Add the cream and blend. Beat the zest and lime juice into this mixture. Add the habanero paste last and beat until well mixed. Pour into the crust, then gently tap the pan to level the filling. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top.
Pour boiling water into the pan on the oven?s lower rack. Place the cheesecake on the rack above it. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until the cheesecake pulls away from the edge of the pan. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 20 minutes. Wrap and keep in the refrigerator overnight, or if rushed, place in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours.
Garnish, if desired, with slices of lime and place a whole habanero in the center.
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By davidmcarson
Redmond, WA
on May 01, 2013
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This is an amazing recipe. I've now made it twice (both for dessert auctions and it goes over very well even for those who don't like traditionally hot foods. I talked to a self-proclaimed wimp after the event and she wanted to know what it was because they were having a hard time placing the habañero flavor. I told her and she couldn't believe it. The lime and creamy texture really offsets the heat from the peppers.
Roasting isn't absolutely necessary, but cooking them somehow is otherwise the heat will be completely overpowering. I just sliced them thinly, sautéed them and put them in with the sugar in the Cuisinart until they were blitzed into a paste.
I initially put in one pepper and you could barely taste the heat. I added another and then finally a third and got a nice heat without it being inedible.
Anyway, both time I've made it, it was the hit of the auction.
By sir_pogo2001_74...
kirkwood, MO
on May 16, 2008
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I made for this for my husband as his birthday cake. Everyone that was brave enough to try this loved it. I have a brand new oven so the cook time was a little to long as my cheesecake had cracks. I didn't feel like using a mortar & pestle like the recipe states as it was about midnight when I made this. I just used a knife and chopped the peppers with sugar until i had a paste.
By archie8kitty21_...
Greenfield, WI
on November 21, 2007
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I have made this cheesecake numerous times all with different results. Sometimes 3 peppers is too many, sometimes it is not enough. I have found that if the fumes of the roasted peppers make you cough and give you trouble breathing, three peppers is going to be too much and I cut it down to two peppers. It is a very good cheesecake - the lime flavor comes first and then the sensation of heat at the end. I have had many requests for the recipe. Give it a try!
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