Daring Baker's Challenge and Kaffir Lime Cheesecake

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from JennyBakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.
This April was PattyCake's first participation in the Daring Baker's Challenge. Happily, the first recipe was cheesecake, something that we have a severe, almost debilitating love of. Our version, infused with the bright, intoxicating fragrance of Kaffir lime leaves is the perfect end to a sun-filled day. Refreshing, light and perfectly creamy.

Kaffir Lime Cheesecake with Macadamia-Graham Cracker Crust
[adapted from Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake]


For crust:
1 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
½ cup macademia nuts; finely chopped
2/3 stick butter; melted
1 ½ tbsp granuated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


For cheesecake:
2 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/3 cup heavy cream
12 Kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine heavy cream and kaffir lime leaves and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has reduced by half. Discard Kaffir leaves and set aside and allow the infused cream to cool slightly.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into an 8-9 inch spring form pan. Set aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add reduced Kaffir lime infused heavy cream, vanilla and lime juice and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.




Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Plan accordingly!