For You Limoncello Addicts
 

This month's Italian Cooking and Living Magazine (available at Borders and maybe other bookstores) has a recipe for Limoncello Cheesecake that looks so good I'm going to hunt down the ingredients tomorrow and make it for the holidays.

I don't think I can copy it here for copyright reasons, but run to your bookstores!

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. ((b))

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 ([email protected]) 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? ((b))

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.((g))
((c))

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!!! ((b))

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. :-D

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!