This cheesecake will steal the limelight at a summer party! This cake looks beautiful garnished with a stem of featherleaf fern.
INGREDIENTS (for 1 servings):
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 eggs
- 8 slices lime
PREPARATION:
To Make The Crust: Combine 1 cup sifted flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, and butter or margarine with a pastry blender to make coarse crumbs. With a fork, mix in the lime peel, egg yolk, and 1 teaspoon lime juice. Dough will have a paste-like consistency. Cover the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan with the crust mixture. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees F) oven until slightly brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 cup lime juice, vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Pour filling into the dough lined pan
Bake in a preheated 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven for 12 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake until center of the cheesecake doesn't wiggle when the pan is gently shaken (about 1 hour). Remove cake from oven and cool.
Release spring on the outside rim after 1 hour of cooling time, but do not remove the sides. Loosening the spring will help to prevent the cake from cracking. If you remove the rim, the cake will not hold its shape. Chill the cake several hours before serving. Cake develops better flavor if chilled overnight.
To Garnish: Separate the featherleaf fern down the middle rib to give tiny "fernettes." Arrange on top of the cheesecake with the point of each "fernette" towards the outside edge of the cake. Arrange lime slices in the center of the ferns, reserving one slice for the top of the alternating slices.
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