Limoncello Cheesecake Squares

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 12 to 16 servings
  • Total: 9 hr 40 min
  • Prep: 25 min
  • Inactive: 8 hr
  • Cook: 1 hr 15 min
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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 sugar

1/2 cup limoncello liqueur*

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 1 at a time, and pulse just until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. 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).
  5. 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.
  6. *Limoncello liqueur can be found at most liquor stores and in the liquor department of some specialty markets.

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Anonymous

I’d give this 10 stars if I could!! I’ve been making this for years at Christmas with reduced fat Philadelphia cream cheese and reduced fat ricotta as well: all my friends and family swoon over this.. it is definitely just as creamy and rich with reduced fat cheeses… I sometimes have omitted the lemon zest and its perfectly still amazingly delicious … Calabro brand ricotta is the closest to homemade ricotta that I can find ( compared with the homemade Brooklyn-Bensonhurst ricotta I grew up with from the local ravioli store) but I’ve used Polly O as well… I can buy Calabro at Whole Foods…<br /> Once after the bars were totally cold I cut them into very small squares, placed them in mini cupcake liners and gave them as gifts on a small cake round and tied with cellophane… looks very impressive and you can also add cookies to the plate as a gift … Cause you most definitely want to have plenty on hand for yourself!!!!! <br /> I also have used vanilla wafers in place of biscotti for the crust.. and I’ve also made it with a Graham cracker crust… both are delicious especially with the vanilla wafers! ( and also way less expensive than buying bakery biscotti) . <br /> I use my husband’s homemade limoncello but have also used store bought as well.. I found the store bought a tad too strong though in this recipe and I would use a little less if I had to use store bought again for these bars… <br /> Marlene M.<br /> December 12, 2022

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