Luscious Lime Cheesecake

Submitted by Ari Eila

"Don't be fooled by the fact that this is a quick, no-bake cheesecake: it's absolutely smooth, creamy, and airy, everything you want in a summer dessert without firing up the oven. Note: You can substitute one of the packages of cream cheese with light cream cheese, but one MUST be full fat. You can also substitute 2/3 c heavy cream and 1/3 c skim/1%/2%/whole milk for the heavy cream, but any more than that and it won't be as light (you'll end up with more of a no-bake Key Lime pie...)."

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 8-12

ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk (16 oz can)
• 1 (1 tablespoon) envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1⁄4 cup hot water
• 2 large limes, grated, juiced
• 1 cup heavy cream (whipping)
• 1 1⁄2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

directions

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter, adding more crumbs if necessary to get a fairly dry but still moist consistency (you want it to just lightly stick together, otherwise it'll be too buttery or too crumbly). Press into bottom of 8" or 9" spring-form pan. Set aside.
2. Dissolve the gelatin in the freshly-boiled hot water. Mix well.
3. Grate both the limes with a citrus grater or other fine grater (you want "flecks", not "strips"). Roll the grated limes with the heel of your hand, then cut them and juice them (the rolling helps to extract the maximum amount of juice). Add juice and rind to gelatin, mix well. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and condensed milk until completely smooth. Add gelatin mixture, mix again.
5. In a separate medium bowl, whip the heavy cream just until stiff peaks form. Fold carefully into cream cheese.
6. Pour into prepared pan. Chill uncovered at least 2-3 hours or overnight. To serve, run a butter knife under hot water and run along sides of pan, then release spring-form. Delicious with whipped cream and a cup of coffee.