For You Limoncello Addicts

StCirq, is this the magazine La Cucina Italiana you're referring to?

What a coincidence!!!
The Yankee just came home with gifts from clients, including a bottle of Limocello and two little glasses!
Cheers!

StCirq, I checked the website and it appears they're sister magazines. I'll have to do the same as you, as we (luckily) still have some limoncello left from our trip, and I have a husband who loves both limoncello AND cheesecake. Someone is going to be very happy this Christmas! Thanks for the tip.

Scarlett, your Yankee is a honey-bunny! Get that limoncello nice and cold, and have a farewell toast to your beautiful NYC!

I got a bottle from my sister who was visiting her son in Rome. It's been in my wine cellar for over a year.

How does one drink the stuff? Brandy sniffer, shot glass, cold like a shot of schnapps?

Please share your cheesecake recipe.

dln: You'll need a half cup for the recipe - hope you have that much left! Me, I need to go scouting tomorrow to find some. I've never bought it in the USA, so this could be something of a treasure hunt.

Budman: It's not my recipe, unfortunately, and it would be a violation of copyright to post it here, I'm quite sure.

If you want to e-mail me (StCirq@aol.com) I'll share it, but I'm concerned that too might be a violation.

Sorry, being in the publishing business I take these things a bit seriously.

Budman, the magazine StCirc is referring to is a wonderful magazine that not only has recipes, but travel articles. You'll be really glad you bought it. It brings Italy close!

StCirq, I certainly don't want to get you in trouble. I just love cheesecake, and that recipe just sounded yummie.

I guess I should put it in the freezer like a Jagermeister shot?

Budman, yes you can drink it very cold! And it's not gauche, either, to throw an ice cube in it. The thing to remember is that it's powerful stuff and a little goes a long way. It's good poured over the top of fruit salad, or drizzled on ice cream, or, as St. Cirq kindly pointed out, baked into a cheesecake!

Bon Appetite had a recipe for the drink Limoncello a year or so ago. Try a search for it on epicurious.com.

I believe copy write violation exists to the extent the document (in this case - the recipie0 is unque, to that end, do a slight change to the inrediants (based on experinace Of course)...ans those with fears,. should be able to share!!

The Italian Cooking and Living Magazine website does have a recipe for Limoncello Cake, perhaps they will post the cheesecake recipe once the current issue is off the stands.

In the meantime, you can buy the ICandLM plus the current issue of La Cucina Italiana, which has a recipe for homemade limoncello; then you can make your own limoncello and the cheesecake.

As for drinking the potent potion -- Crate and Barrel sells some adorable limoncello glasses. I bought some for my husband for Christmas.

Tonight was not limoncello but Pear Muscat
Pear today, Lemon tomorrow~

OK, here goes, with my changes editorialised for, uh, copyright purposes:

For the Crust:

12 ladyfinger cookies or 12 madeleines, finely ground
1 cup whole almonds, crushed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tspn salt
1 stick butter, melted


For the cheesecake:
1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
5 eggs
1/2 cup limoncello
2 tblspns lemon extract
1 tblspn vanilla extract
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves
2 cups mixed fresh fruit (berries, I should think)
fresh mint leaves for garnish

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the cookies and almonds in a food processor. Add the sugar, salt, and melted butter and blend well.

Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and press the cookie-almond mix into the bottom and sides. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Put the cream cheese in a mixer and beat until soft. Add the sugar and heavy cream and mix to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time - wait until each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the limoncello and lemon and vanilla extracts and mix to combine.

Pour the mixture into the prebaked crust.

Place the preserves in a squeeze bottle with a narrow tip and pipe swirls on the top of the filling.

Using a toothpick or skewer, drag the preserves in a zigzag design. Place the cheesecake on the middle rack of the oven and bake until set, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. It's set when a toothpick inserted in it comes out clean and dry. Allow the cake to cool at room temperature for about 2 hours. Serve with fresh fruit and garnish with mint leaves.

If you cam find the limoncello di capri or try to make your own.

10 lemon
1 liter vodka
3 cups white sugar
4 cups water









1 Zest the lemons, and place zest into a large glass bottle or jar. Pour in vodka. Cover loosely and let infuse for one week at room temperature.
2 After one week, combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. DO NOT STIR. Boil for 15 minutes. Allow syrup to cool to room temperature.
3 Stir vodka mixture into syrup. Strain into glass bottles, and seal each bottle with a cork. Let mixture age for 2 weeks at room temperature.
4 Place bottled liqueur into the freezer. When icy cold, serve in chilled vodka glasses or shot glasses.

I would think that every recipe we share and pass on to friends even on the internet was written in some publication at some point.

Thanks for the recipe.

I don't think you'll have any trouble finding Limoncello in the US these days, at least not in any good-sized city. (For those of you who are familiar with the store, our last bottle was purchased at Trader Joe's!)

Well, I can't get limoncello where I live, so I guess I'll have to use Mimi's recipe, then try out the cheesecake recipe, too! Thanks you all. My mouth is watering already. (sigh).

Sea Urchin:
I would think that it would be very strange if most recipes passed along are ones that were previously published. I thought usually the point of sharing a recipe is to give people something they cannot otherwise find themselves.
I hardly ever pass on a recipe that's written in a publication. I almost never follow a recipe verbatim anyway, except for baking, which I hate to do. If I post recipes or type them up and pass them to people who requested them, they are always either ones I made up myself, or ones that I based on several diverse versions of a dish in different published recipes, picking and choosing the elements that made sense to me and fit into my way of cooking, or ones that I developed in an attempt to reproduce, approximately, something I remember tasting in the past. So, except for something very basic and simple like limoncello, with few ingredients and little need to specify quantities, I don't think it's true that most recipes passed along on the Internet are ones that have been published somewhere, and are therefore findable if someone tries. It's the original ones that are worth passing along, since people cannot otherwise find them.
It wouldn't be considered a violation of copyright to pass along a published recipe to a friend via private e-mail. That's very different from posting it on a big public website like Fodors.

Note the recipe for limoncello. If you cannot find limoncello, to get a similar result in the baked product you can use a comparable volune of vodka plus sugar syrup, and a few drops of oil of lemon peel (available in Boyajian brand, and possibly others).

StCirq: Thakns very much for posting the limoncello cheesecake recipe! I'll try it over the holidays and let you know how it came out.

Cigalechanta: Thanks also for posting the limoncello recipe.

I recall, many years ago, using approximately the same recipe but using coffee instead of lemon. Came out like a kahlua.

Limoncello can be purchased at Beverages & More. The one that Koshka brought to the SF GTG was a Pallini - exquisite!

Merry Christmas, all!

Dear Scarlett--I had a Pear liquer during Thanksgiving! I saw this lovely bottle in the discount bin of my local supermarket. All that was on the bottle was "Poire". Tried it, all the guests (except for my hubby, whose not a fan of sweet drinks) raved. Still have enough for Christmas toasts! Merry Christmas to all!

Thanks for the recipes. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!!!

MzPossum, isn't it tasty? Although I wish this had been bought at discount..I got it in the same section in the wine store that you buy Chateau Yquem..(sp)
I will look for it again at the market

It really feels like Christmas around here, with all of us talking food and drink! Thanks for the recipe, StCirq; just checked my bottle and I can swing it. I think I will follow Julia Childs' philosophy of ...one for the dish, one for the cook...

That's fine, I don't know a thing about copyright rules.

I do know that your circle must be alot more inventive recipe-wise than mine is. We are still passing around a delicious potato cassarole dishe from Cosmo printed years ago and and some really good ones involving adding diff. ingredients to cake mixes that was clipped from a recipe book in the 1970's.

When I discovered Limoncello I started splashing it in everything that called for lemon. This included Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Bars and over ice cream. Then I substituted it for anything that called for a liquor but didn't have choc.
It's great stuff! Be brave and creative with it.
Holiday Blessings to All,
McGeezer

/2 cup sugar (A GRANITA RECIPE)
2 cups water
1/2 cup Limoncello
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Lemon zest curls

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water; bring to a simmer. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes or just until sugar dissolves and turns clear.

Remove from heat and let mixture cool to room temperature. Stir in the limoncello and lemon juice; pour mixture into a 9-inch square baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze approximately 45 minutes or until icy at edge of pan. Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly. Cover and freeze again until icy at edge of pan and overall texture is slushy, about 45 minutes. Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly. Cover and return to freezer and freeze about 3 hours or until frozen solid. Remove from freezer.

Using a fork, scrape granita down length of pan, forming icy flakes. Return to freezer for at least 1 hour. Can be made 1 day ahead. When served, the granita should look like a fluffy pile of dry brown crystals.

In a medium bowl, whip whipping cream and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve, scoop flaked granita into tall goblets or parfait glasses, filling halfway. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with lemon zest curls for garnish. Serve immediately with iced tea spoons.

Makes 6 servings.

Hmmm...I'm making lemon bars today...maybe I'll toss in what's left in the limoncello bottle (not much).

For those interested in branching out a bit, I went to my local Italian liquor store here in Boston and the Sorrentine shop that makes the limoncello I prefer (and also the mandarinetto, clear and creamy) is now putting out a raspberry version, which I have wholeheartedly purchased and will agree to test for you all over the Christmas holiday. I will report back after Christmas eve. I wasn't a fan of the orange versions myself, but I will certainly give raspberry anything a try!

Cool, StCirq!! Thanks for the modified recipe!

Located some Limoncello at a state liquor store here in town (Cincy - Northland Blvd for all you Cincinnatians)and bought some for a camping trip with friends at Halloween. Wonderful, wonderful stuff; very potent. One of our crew was down for the count in the wee hours. As it tastes like a very strong, tartish lemonade (straight up over ice) some people don't take it very seriously. Anyway, the lovely stuff didn't last past 2 days.

But now I know where to get it & I think I'll make this recipe after the New Year!

~~Merci beaucoup & Joyeux Noel~~

amyb, what is the brand? That stuff sounds great, and you can have all the raspberry if I can have all the orange.

I must confess that whatever limoncello I am drinking at the time tastes like the best I've ever had. In other words, I haven't yet met a limoncello I didn't like. Has anyone really done a taste test and decided there's a brand that is far superior to the rest?

It's Sogno di Sorrento brand, and the new stuff is called "Crema Rasbarello". I'd be curious to know if this is really available in Italy...the mandarello and limoncello I can see since they are local fruit products in Sorrento, but raspberries? The clerk at the store said it just started being imported here on Dec. 1!

Thanks. It will be my mission to try it and report back. I know, it's a tough job but someone has to do it.

Well, Marilyn, you have all MY support!

Raspberry is lampone in Italian. It does grow in Italy, and there is a vast range of liqueurs made in Italy flavored with all kinds of nuts and citrus and non-citrus fruits and herbs. I never heard of the word "rasbarello" in Italian. Maybe it's an uncommon name for the berry that I just don't happen to know, but if not, it may be a made-up name for the English-speaking market.

Whatis Limoncelo, italian lemonade? Is it alcoholic? I almost got a taste yesterday. My hairdresser was handing it to all her customers. People seemed to be giggling and having a high old time, but I was on my way to get the kids so had to take a pass. I've never seen such a bunch of happy clients in a salon. Did I miss something special?

FrederichH, no wonder everyone was happy! Is it alcoholic?? Straight off the label of my bottle of Il Limoncello di Sorrento, this notation: Alcohol 32% Delcious stuff and it packs a wallop!

StCirq--
Thank you! I love limoncello, and your post made me rush to the nearest Borders and pick up the issue. I adore this magazine! The recipes seem very "doable" and I am vicariously living my fantasy Italian life as I turn the pages. My subscription card went out in the mail today, so thank you for the Christmas gift!

My limoncello cheesecake is in the oven as I write! We even managed to get the decorative topping thing to look like the one in the magazine, though it wasn't easy using a ziplock sandwich bag with a tiny hole cut it one corner. The batter tasted absolutely divine - I can't wait to try it!

The cheesecake recipe looks great. I'll have to try it after I stock up on Limoncello, after my trip to Italy.

Can you pick up Limoncello in Rome or Bologna? I don't know if I'll make it to Naples or if I do, I'll merely be passing through.

What sort of brand should I be looking out for? Are there different grades--like maple syrup?

Thanks in advance.

Lil

Lil, you can buy it all over Tuscany and Umbria, so I would guess you can get it in any major city in Italy.

Any major city sells this Limoncello. My wife pours it over vanilla ice cream.
I prefer cognac over ice cream.

An update on the raspberello (creamy version)...the bottle did not survive Christmas Eve. Four limoncello addicts devoured it, and decided it was actually better than limoncello itself. Very subtle flavor, not as sweet as the lemon, and a delightful smooth red color that went down so well on a wonderful Christmas Eve with friends. We are sad now because we have no more for today! I will buy a bottle of both the clear and creamy for New Years' certainly! Merry Christmas to you all!

OK, my limoncello cheesecake was such a hit, I've been asked to bake another one tomorrow for a friend's birthday party (poor guy with a birthday the day after Christmas - he deserves a good cake!) I'm thinking I'll try to find the raspberello (weird word/spelling for something Italian) liqueur and use that instead. But if not, the limoncello worked amazingly well. We smothered it in a glaze made of very slightly heated raspberry jam and frozen mixed berries and it was, well, to die for. What a recipe! I think this one will actually get written down and put in the recipe box - that's a rarity for me who doesn't ever "cook by the book."

FWIW,Mario Batali has a recipe for limoncello on the FoodTV website. I've made it several times to good reviews.

This may not help for an immediate fix, but it can be ordered online:
http://www.civeimporting.com/rasberello.html

Hi Lil,

Unfortunately, I am not at home and cannot give you brand names. However, the better brands are slightly greenish ** not ** bright yellow. Beware of "Natural Flavors" on the label.

If the sales persons offer you some, don't drink it straight from the freezer. Let it warm up a bit. If it tastes from synthetic chemicals, go on to another shop.

We paid about 7-8E for 750 ml of good limoncello from the Amalfi Coast.

Hi Ira!

Thanks for the tip. I would have gone for the "natural flavor" thinking it would be better!

So you would recommend buying it from a deli or salumnerie (I think) and not a supermarket? (When I was shopping for maple syrup in the New England area I used to hit the supermarkets. They were considerably cheaper than the stores that sell gifts.)

So when I taste, how should it smell and taste, other than non-chemically?

Thanks in advance!

Lil

Hi Lil,

My suggestion is to walk away from the main tourist shopping areas and find a small shop, preferably with some locals in it, and ask for their best limoncello.

IIRC it comes in different levels of alcohol, which affects the price.

The flavor should be like the scent of the nicest lemons that you have ever smelled.

If you buy it in Naples, you will be taking a chance. I bought a 750ml bottle in Spacanapoli after carefully checking the label. It read "All Natural Ingredients". After I opened it, I realized what the joke was between the clerk and one of his friends.

Limoncello should be lemons, lemon zest, alcohol and (maybe) sugar.

You might want to order a glass in a restaurant or cafe, and if you like it, ask to see the bottle.

Have a good trip.

Would they have it in Bologna, Florence or Rome?

Thanks.

StCirq:

The limoncello cheesecake was a BIG hit!

I had to use store bought shells for lack of time, but other than this one substitute, everything else was according to your recipe.

Thanks a million for posting a wonderful recipe! This one definitely goes into my recipe box!

Okay, y'all.... This thread got the better of me. After all the talk of Limoncello, I had to try some for myself. I went to Spec's Liquours (in Houston) today and they had at least 5 different kinds (although no raspberry or creamy versions).

So I had my first taste of Limoncello tonight. Yummy. Although it was exactly the same color as the lemon flavored Powerade my son was drinking at the time.

Thanks for inspiring me to try it. I guess the cheesecake is the next step.

Susan

Well, I just got back from the friend's birthday party, and the second limoncello cheesecake was an enormous hit there, too! I topped this one with black raspberry jam, which I melted and added a pint of fresh raspberries and some mint leaves to - yum! Never did find the raspbello liqueur, but I'll be on the lookout for it.
Yes, this recipe is definitely a keeper. And I still have more than 3/4 of a bottle of limoncello left!

While I, after reading this thread on and off the past few days, finally succumbed and polished off what was left in the bottle! Now I need to look for the Sogno di Sorrento brand so I can do a taste test.

Well, I couldn't be too picky, since all my favorite "wine and cheese" stores in the neighborhood told me they couldn't sell Limoncello, because it had *real alcohol* in it (huh? their wine doesn't have real alcohol in it?Coulda fooled me!) - and I needed to go to the ABC store. Well, I didn't believe for a minute I could find Limoncello at an ABC store in Alexandria, VA, but there it was!
The brand is Pallini, the bottle is beautiful, and it's 26% alcohol (inferior, I guess).
Since I'm not a Limoncello expert (but eager to become one), what are the best brands, and where can they be found?

StCirq, here in the US the best I can get is the Sogno di Sorrento, which is widely available here in the Boston area. This is not, however, the same brand I brought back from Italy. We brought back the brand made on Capri instead, and which we can't find here. The Sogno di Sorrento brand is the closest I can get to that Sorrento feeling! (And I have to think that if it's the only brand available in Boston's North End neighborhood, it has to be good!)

The best limoncello I have ever had was one served to me by an Italian friend. He is a Roman, but the limoncello was from Amalfi. It's called "Valle dei Mulini." There is a Web site -- also in English -- that explains the particular qualities of the Amalfi lemon that is used in making limoncello and describes the process of making it.

Unfortunately, I've never found it on this side of the ocean. Even in Rome, where practically every grocery store carries at least one limoncello, I once walked through half the centro storico to find it. It was well worth the effort!

Eloise

Amy, Martinetti's carried the Capri but there is no longer a distributer. They carry , Sorrento and Trieste, and another, I forget.

Authentic Limoncello is made from Sorrento lemons which come from Italy's Amalfi Coast. The ingredients are simple, they take the rines from the Sorrento lemons, soak them in pure 190 proof alcohol for about 90 days, then they add sugar, water and there you have your Limoncello. Think of it as alcoholic lemonade. If you actually take a bottle of vodka and infuse it with lemon rinds, you will see it turn a yellowish color, and you can put that in the freezer, you will have a similar (but not as sweet) taste to it. There are several Limoncello Liquers,but you can see that yours is fine. By the way have you eaten at 'Limoncello"in the North End across from the Paul Revere house?

On my web site, I have 3 recipes for Limoncello. Two are Limoncello cream, which one came from my husbands relatives in Naples. They are easy to make and so delicious! Keep the bottle in the freezer and enjoy chilled.

http://www.luvtotravel.homestead.com/recipes.html

Monica

Hi Lil,

I can't guarantee, but expect that you will be able to buy limoncello in Rome and Bologna.

It should also be available at the duty free shop in the airport when you leave.

Ok, to renew this discussion...

I just had my weekly Berlitz lesson with my tutor who is just returned from 2 weeks in Napoli. I informed him of my new-found treat of Raspberello. He said it's been around as long as limoncello but for whatever reason hasn't been as broadly marketed. There is, however, also blackberry, blueberry, strawberry in both clear and creamy versions, I "just need to know where to look for them". He also recommended a chestnut liquor, a hazelnut liquor and a cinnamon liquor (from Sicily), all of which he proudly imbibed over his holiday, and all of which are made the same way, just by soaking the main ingredient in straight alcohol.

And to whomever asked, you should be able to buy limoncello just about anywhere in Italy. As he said, even the di Saronno (of amaretto fame) people are making it now, and it's way up north. "It just won't be the real costiera amalfitana thing..."

Hmmmm....counting the days back to Italy.

Weeping Weeping,
Clearing out the refrigerator tonight, throwing away things , getting others ready for the packing, What to do with an opened bottle of Limoncello??
Put it on the counter to contemplate drinking most of it or taking it or tossing it out.
I bumped it while doing other things and it fell and broke

amyb, do you mean Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)?

Oh, Scarlett! Never mind...you can get some more in Flaarda.

Thank you Marilyn, picture me standing there, gasping at the sound of glass shattering all over that stone floor then just for that tiny moment wondering, can I get enough off the floor for a sip

Marilyn: I think Frangelico is the most common hazelnut liqueur sold in the US. But in Italy, there are many versions of hazelnut liqueur, as well as many almond and other nut liqueurs, all sorts of fruit liqueurs, herbal liqueurs. Many people aslo make their own. The cinnamon liqueur I had in Sicily was made by the family that owned the agriturismo where I stayed in the Madonie, and an herbal liqueur was made by the owner of another agriturismo in the Nebrodi. There are many brands of limoncello and other popular types, including some made by small small, local producers. Lots of people aslo make them at home, The mandarinetto I tasted was made by my cousin (similar to limoncello, but with tangerine or mandarin orange zest instead of lemon).

cmt, so many liqueurs, so little time! The mandarinetto sounds incredible.

I can't wait to try them out! Just counting the days....

Lil

So if you open a bottle of limoncello, do you have to refrigerate or freeze it?

I don't think you have to, but we keep ours in the freezer so it's nice and chilly when you want a drop.

Wow! I'm looking for a bottle of limoncello when I go to NYC in March! thanks for the recipes, everyone.

When I was leaving Venice, we picked up a couple of tiny bottles (about 2 1/2 inches high) as souvenirs in a Dorsoduro shop. It was called limoncino & looked like pale lemonade, slightly green. Is this the same thing as the linomcello you are talking about?

Following up on a few posts...

Marilyn, I don't think he meant Frangelico, because he gave it another name (I forgot the names for the hazelnut and chestnut ones he loves) but he said they're done the same way limoncello is, just by soaking them in alcohol for a month or so. He also said whenever possible, they prefer to make their own. Wheeee!

I love the limoncello and raspberello creamy styles myself, but I find the mandarinello too sweet.

I think you have to refrigerate the creamy version because it is cream-based and not preserved to last otherwise. I wouldn't drink the straight stuff non-refrigerated, but that's just a matter of preference.

Scarlett, dropping a bottle is just a tragedy, truly!

And on slightly related food note (and for those of us nursing Italian food addictions), he says that a new development is taking hollowed-out cakes to gelaterias and having the gelateria fill it with your favorite flavors as a special holiday dessert. Oh my! I can't imagine....

Enjoyed the posts reg. limoncello and copied the cheesecake recipe as I love to bake. When I was in Sorrento 2 yrs ago, I bought a bottle of the 100 proof alcohol in a grocery store and the cashier gave me her recipe...so...to be creative...I made a gallon and decorated colored bottles with leaves and artificial lemons and gave as xmas gifts with the hand towels from Italy that had the recipes...quite a hit...also quite a story getting the alcohol back but right before 9/11. Cant wait to try the cheesecake right after I try my new pina colada cheesecake recipe.....right after I lose the 10 lbs gained on my christmas trip to cuba ...thanks for the great recipes...Johanna

Has anyone tasted the creamy cantaloupe flavor? I don't think it has been mentioned on this thread. Don't know the Italian name for it but we got the little souvenir bottles from each of the Cinque Terre towns and got a couple with cantaloupe after tasting it in a shop in Monterosso. Talk about a melon with a kick! Very good!

topping for robbiegirl

Topping for those who are looking for StCirq's recipe for Limoncello Cheesecake. Scroll 1/4 way down from the top.

Thanks Budman !

I am stunned, though...just 1/2 cup limoncello enough to call it "limoncello cheesecake"?
Does it even taste "lemony" ? Gotta try.

I tried once that Greek food "Musaks" I believe, never again) even with beshamel sauce !

OK, here we go to bake a cake!

Topping for those who are looking for StCirq's recipe for Limoncello Cheesecake. Scroll 1/4 way down from the top.

StCirq, I need your help! I know this isn't a cooking site but I tried the Limoncello cheesecake recipe and it flopped! The cheesecake rose and then fell. It took much too long to cook and the crust burned! Please help! What do you think caused all that? How far up the pan does your crust usually go and how far up the pan did you fill with batter? I really want to try this again as I love Limoncello and cheesecake! Grazie!

If anyone in Colorado knows where one can buy Limoncello I'd love to know! A friendly male waiter in Florence gave my best friend and myself several shotglasses of it a couple of years ago as he tried in vain to convince us to go dancing "disco" with him after he got off work. I'd love to buy some here and try the recipe for my fiance, he loves lemon anything!

TexasAggie-Try an italian deli if you can find one in Colorado-the one's here (chicago) stock about a dozen choices.

Baking a cheesecake. Try wrapping your springform if you use one of those with heavy duty foil (obviously don't bother if you use a solid pan) and bake the cheesecake in a bain marie (water bath)...
All cheesecakes will rise and then fall but the gentle, even heat of the bain marie will cause more even cooking in the cake and apparently, less "souffle-ing"

stormygirl:

Can't explain why the recipe didn't work for you. I've made the cheesecake a half-dozen times now, and it worked well every time. It DOES kind of cave in a bit as it ciils, and sometimes cracks a bit on top, but otherwise it's typical cheesecake consistency. Are you maybe in a high-altitude area? The only thing I can think of to suggest is to use 2 or 3 eggs, and then just yolks for the rest.

Yeahh, good suggestions. Thank you!! I'll report back. I think I filled it too much. maybe I'll also try to fill it to just an inch before the rim?

Myabe you should get our addresses and send us all the samples, then we can have a Taste-Off!! We will let each of you know who makes the best Limoncello dessert LOL

All of this is sending me running for the fridge and the last of the sorbet!

stormygirl:

You bake the crust separately, so you can control that - if it's burning when you bake the cheesecake, just don't leave it in the oven so long on the first go-round, or use more butter. When I use my springform pan, which is maybe 3" high, the batter comes up to about 2".

If you want a more lemony taste (mine's plenty lemony with the limoncello and the lemon extract, you could grate some lemon zest into the batter, or even grate some onto the top before or after baking.

Play with it! The results are outstanding! My daughter's French teacher called me and demanded that I produce one for the end-of-year French test day. That was such a hit that the English teacher and then the Math teacher and the lacrosse coach called - like I have time to be a Cheesecake Factory

I like Scarlett's idea the best.

This is so funny. I was just putting together receipes for a small dinner party and had decided to just have a simple dessert of lemon sorbet with vanilla ice cream with a good splash of Limoncello over it and here's this thread about Limoncello. We got ours from friends who traveled to Italy last year. They gave it to us as a wedding present. We eloped in Nov.

St. Cirq I'll have to try that cheese cake receipe, if I have enough left over.

I did blind bake the crust first but I think since I over filled the pan it just took too long for the cake and thus the burning. I have such a hard time finding madelines or ladyfingers here so I guess I'll have to use graham cracker.

granny!! You eloped?? How divine! I did that, once upon a time Want to tell us about it?

Scarlett, It's kind of embarassing to elope at our ages, mid 60's and up, but we have been together quite a while and decided it was about time and we didn't want any fuss.

Got on the computer and made arrangements at one of the chapels in Las Vegas and dinner after at a dark romantic restaurant, and off we flew.

The chapel was very nice, the minister was French and the restaurant was just what we wanted. Then we had drinks at the top of the Paris Hotel Eiffel Tower restaurant with a beautiful view. Everyone treated us so warmly and special. It turned out to be a lovely experience.

Thanks to all, I made the recipe again and it turned out great. I had overbeaten the previous one! Yeah for the travel site that helps the want-a-be chefs also! Thank you!!!

A belated thank you to StCirq for the recipe. I made this for Mother's Day (my mother and I "discovered" limoncello in Sorrento 2 years ago) and it was a huge hit, even with my non-Limoncello lovin' dad! We're working on the next one with the raspberello, will let you know how it turns out!

I just wanted to follow up on this cheesecake recipe. I made it earlier this week, not with limoncello, but I wanted you bakers to know that the texture of the basic cheesecake that StCirq provided is excellent.
I made the following changes for an Orange-Eggnog cheesecake (my own invention, since I didn't have limoncello in the house, it keeps disappearing)
Instead of the heavy cream I used egg nog from the dairy section of the supermarket.
Instead of the limoncello and lemon extract I used cointreau (mandarine liqueur would work as well) and orange extract. Rum extract, or cognac would work well also. I mixed the filling ingredients in a food processor for extra smoothness.

I skipped the preserves on top but sprinkled very sparsely with a few grains of grated nutmeg (a dash, hand-sprinkled).

I also used crushed ginger snaps for the crust and no nuts.

I baked the thing in a water bath for an hour, and then without opening the oven door I turned the heat off and left it in for another hour, because that's my usual technique.

I served it with some orange sections.

Yummy. It's a pretty adaptable recipe.

How the heck did I manage to miss this thread????? Oh well...I have two bottles of limoncello and I think I need to try this cheesecake recipe! Will try it out for the New Year's party we are hosting.

Wow, Elaine, that sounds like a scrumptious recipe adaptation! Cheers to you!! And Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!!

Cheers back at ya'
Happy trails to all this holiday weekend

Thanks, elaine, for the new variation on the cheesecake. I'm planning to do one for New Year's Eve this year and will probably incorporate some, if not all, of your suggestions - I love cointreau and I think the nutmeg and gingersnaps sound wonderful!

I don't know how I missed this thread before--I love Limoncello! I'm definately going to have to try this cheesecake. And in the spirit of sharing at the holidays--here's a link to my favorite recipe with Limoncello, Nigella Lawson's Anglo-Italian Trifle http://www.nigella.com/recipes/recipe.asp?article=157

It uses a full cup of Limoncello. I made it for a bridal shower this summer and got the bride a *little* tipsy. We just had it again last week at our holiday party...soooo good!

Thank you for this great recipe. I served this to a group of friends last night -- all lovers of food, wine, and italy. They'd raved about the cheesecake and I enjoyed using the little bottle of limoncello I brought back from our trip this summer.
I suspect I beat the batter more than I was supposed to, because there was too much batter for the pan. But the cake baked beautifully and folks seemed to like the lighter texture.

Topping - Thank you for sharing StCirq! This is a happy ending for the remaining limoncello in my fridge.

More Limoncello recipes
A belated message referring to this thread. I have made the Limoncello as appeared in this column and enjoyed every last drop (which disappeared very quickly). Was searching other cooking recipes websites today and came across the following link which has four different Limoncello recipes listed. Can't guarantee them, but they do sound superb (not to be compared with the Limoncello cheesecake though) and worthy of communicating the information to other Limoncello fans:

http://www.vinalto.com/recipes.cfm.

Happy cooking & dobra hoot..... Jay

StCirq: That recipe sounds wonderful-it's on my Christmas dinner list! I live in the SF area and Bev & More has the same brand as we bought years ago in Sorrento. Also Draeger's in San Mateo sells several different sizes. So, in other areas, it might be available in your local upscale liquor stores.

Thougt it was time to repost this for the holiday season.

This is not travel.
Posters have been banned for this type of post.

Really, who was it?

FYI, just in the Wash Post this week:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120600243.html

Well, maybe I'll be banned, then, tondolaya.

Thanks for taking the time to post that.

Most of us learned about limoncello when we traveled to Italy. So, tondalaya, how could it not be connected to travel. Surely you were joking.

Happy sipping!

Re: another easy cheesecake recipe, this is the one that I made recently. All you need is a food processor (and/or mixer). Using the biscotti for the crust made it really special. I'm going to hunt around for some limoncello for our Christmas meal....

lilley

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31419,00.html

Hi Marianna, I'm sure it was a tongue and cheek jab because some posters objected to us giving rcipes, talking about dogs and bird sitings.
Tis the season troll-la-la-la-la la

Limoncello is a great liquer, and almost any dessert using it as an ingredient is likely to be special. When in Florence a few years ago, I bought a 500ml bottle of a cream limoncello made by Villa Massa. I feel that it is the best limoncello I have tasted. It is fragrant, creamy, tangy and ultra lemony with strong sweetness and noticeable alcoholic bite (17% alcohol). Villa Massa also makes a non-cream limoncello.

Since I have only compared the Villa Massa cream limoncello against several other limoncellos where I have added my own cream, it probably is not a fair comparison, but just taking in the aroma from the near empty bottle compared to the other brands shows a noticeable difference.

(As a simple dessert, pour about a half an ounce of cream limoncello over a piece of good poundcake, then add a dollop of fresh whipcream...very tastee)

I haven't found a place to buy the Villa Massa products in the U.S., but I do know that there is at least one importer.

Interesting that Scott joined just to post this plug for limoncello on the 7 year old thread.

Well, even a Scott Clock is sometimes right!