SERVES 12
Limoncello has such a unique flavour, and this is quite a sophisticated dessert to add to your cheesecake repertoire. Although it requires no baking, be sure to chill the cheesecake long enough for it to hold its shape well, and use a hot knife to cut through it cleanly. This is a perfect light dessert for after dinner; citrus is always so refreshing.
Ingredients
- 250g packet of plain gluten-free biscuits
- 80g butter, melted
- 3 leaves gelatine
- 300g plain unsweetened yoghurt
- 150g plain white chocolate, finely chopped
- 750g cream cheese
- ½ cup caster sugar
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup limoncello Lemon basil jelly:
- 3 leaves gelatine
- 180g caster sugar
- 250ml lemon juice
- 70ml limoncello
- ¼ cup small basil leaves or finely chopped basil
Method
- Grease a 22cm round cake tin with a loose base and line the base with baking paper. Place biscuits in a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Add melted butter and mix through. Press evenly into the base of the tin and chill in the freezer while making the filling.
- Soften the gelatine leaves in cold water. Place half the yoghurt and the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water. Mix until chocolate is melted and mixture is warm. Squeeze excess water from gelatine leaves and whisk into warm chocolate mixture. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Place cream cheese and sugar in the food processor. Blend until smooth, then add remaining yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, limoncello and cooled chocolate mixture, and continue to blend until well combined.
- Pour filling over prepared base and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- For the lemon basil jelly, soften gelatine leaves in cold water. Place sugar, lemon juice and limoncello in a small pot and heat gently. When mixture is just beginning to boil, remove from the heat, squeeze excess water from gelatine and add to pot, stirring until dissolved. Set aside to cool but do not allow to set. Once cheesecake has chilled sufficiently, place basil into jelly, stir to mix and gently pour over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate overnight. Carefully remove from the tin before serving.
