Key Lime Cheesecake with Tropical Dried-Fruit Chutney

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Key Lime Cheesecake with Tropical Dried-Fruit Chutney

Stop 125 key lime cheesecake (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Juvy S. Iliwiliw

The imagination knows no limits. This is so true even in cooking. You have to make use of your imagination in creating various ideas to make up a wonderful recipe. All recipes must have been created from a simple curiosity that as time goes by has become an extraordinary goodness as various ingredients are added to magnify its taste. This recipe maybe one of those created by person or persons that knows no boundaries to their imagination.

KEY LIME CHEESECAKE WITH

TROPICAL DRIED-FRUIT CHUTNEY

You will need:

CRUST
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup sour cream

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs

3 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice

2 tablespoons finely grated Key lime peel

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Here's how:

For crust: Preheat oven to 350^oF. Stir flour, coconut, and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Drizzle butter over and mix until crumbs stick together; press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Bake crust until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool crust. Stack 3 large sheets of 18-inch-wide heavy-duty foil on work surface. Place cake pan in center. Wrap foil snugly around pan sides. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Beat in sour cream, then sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in lime juice, lime peel, and vanilla. Pour batter over crust. Place wrapped cheesecake in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cheesecake pan. Cover cheesecake pan (not roasting pan) loosely with foil.

Place cheesecake, still in water bath, into oven. Bake 1 hour. Uncover and continue to bake until just set in center when cake pan is gently shaken, about 20 minutes longer. Remove cake from water and place directly into refrigerator; chill uncovered overnight.

Cut around cake to loosen. Remove pan sides. Slice cake; serve with chutney.

TROPICAL DRIED-FRUIT CHUTNEY

You will need:

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 cup imported dry Sherry

2 cinnamon sticks

2 whole star anise

1 cup ½-inch dice dried mango (about 4½ ounces)

1 cup ½-inch dice dried papaya (about 4½ ounces)

½ cup ½-inch dice dried pineapple (about 3 ounces)

½ cup raisins

Pineapple juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Here's how:

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into heavy medium saucepan. Add bean, Sherry, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Add all the dried fruits; return to simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer until Sherry is almost evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in enough pineapple juice by tablespoonfuls to moisten chutney. Transfer to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. (Chutney can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Remove vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, and star anise from chutney. Mix in mint and cilantro and serve.