Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake With Hazelnut Biscotti Crust

This Italian-style cheesecake, made with ricotta cheese, is dense and rich-tasting but is actually lower in fat and calories than cream cheese-based cakes. That's because ricotta, commonly used in Italian desserts, has about half the fat and calories of cream cheese

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• CRUST

• 1  cup  crumbled  hazelnut biscotti (about 3 to 4 biscotti)
• 2  tablespoons butter, melted

• FILLING

• 1 1⁄2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 3  tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3  eggs, separated
• 2  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1  dash salt
• 4  teaspoons  finely grated lemon peel

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325°F In small bowl, combine crust ingredients; mix well. Press in bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
2. In food processor, puree ricotta about 2 minutes or until absolutely smooth and creamy. Add cream cheese; beat until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar, lemon juice, egg yolks, flour and salt; pulse until well mixed. Place in large bowl; stir in lemon peel.
3. In separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Gently fold whites into cream cheese mixture; pour into springform pan.
4. Place springform pan in large, shallow roasting pan or broiler pan. Fill large pan with 1 inch hot water.
5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until edges are puffed and top looks dull and is dry to the touch. Center should move slightly when side of pan is tapped. Remove from oven; let stand in water bath 30 minutes. Remove from water bath; cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours; cover and store in refrigerator up to 3 days.**.
6. TIPS *Pulse biscotti in food processor to make crumbs. Use chocolate-dipped biscotti to add a hint of chocolate to the crust.
7. **Cheesecake can be wrapped airtight and frozen up to 2 weeks; thaw overnight in refrigerator before serving.