Sue Freeman
Margarita Cheese Cake
1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
3 whole eggs
1 cup sugar
2 ounces lime juice
1 1/2 t. rum extract
Crust
2 1/ 2 cups salted pretzels crushed
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 ounces butter, melted
This will hold itself and not be completely solid. It will not clump.
Topping
3 cups whipping Cream
2 teaspoons of lemon and lime zest
For the crust:
Combine pretzels, sugar and butter in pan. Press to make crust and take it up the sides of a spring form pan.
For the cheese cake:
Mix cream cheese on low speed til softened then add remaining ingredients except eggs. Mix slightly. It does not have to be creamy.....just enough to mix. Then add eggs...one at a time blending til mixed. Be careful not to
overmix...you want a light cheesecake. This can have lumps in it as the lumps will melt down during baking.
Put a water bath with very hot water beneath the cheesecake and bake for one hour at 300 degrees. At the end of the hour. Turn off oven and leave in oven for 8 hours. Do not open oven door. It will set and finish baking on it's own. The water bath will keep it from cracking and it will be moist and light.
When cool, loosen sides of cake from pan...remove sides of pan. Whip the cream topping...(I personally add a little sugar to sweeten the cream more...just a couple tablespoons will do as you don't want it too too sweet). Combine lemon and lime zest and fold into whipped cream. Place topping on top of cheesecake.
Garnish with a little extra zest and sprinkle on top of cream...