I wanted to come up with an unusual cheesecake recipe for you to try but when I did an internet search I found out that Giada De Laurentiis already came up with a Limoncello Cheesecake, and the trendiest restaurants right now are serving cheesecake in a jar. Great minds think alike, but not always together, and in a pressure cooker so I bring you the best of all worlds! Italian American ingenuity, modern presentation and a cutting edge cooking method!
Although making cheesecake is relatively easy, I listed this recipe as Advanced because you need so many pieces of equipment to get it done. As is my way, I have noted suitable substitute for almost all of the equipment – for example, if you use lots of elbow grease you do not need a hand mixer!
| Pressure Cooker | Accessories | Pr. Cook Time | Pr. Level | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 L or larger | steamer basket, heat-proof dish(es) | 15 min. | High(2) | Natural |
Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake-in-a-jar with Hazelnut Choccolate Splinter Topping
Author: hip pressure cooking
Recipe type: pressure cooker
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
This recipe works for two ½ liter jars, four ¼ liter jars or one 7" heatproof dish. If using jars with the metal clasps, as I did, remove them so that the top and clasps do not interfere with the pressure cooker. DO NOT, place these jars in the pressure cooker when they are clamped shut. The difference in pressure may shatter the glass, or you may hurt yourself in trying to open them if the contents are under pressure while you are not.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 oz (125g) Biscotti (in Italy, this type of cookies are called Cantucci)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted Butter, half melted, half softened
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Zest, grated
- 6 oz (170g) Ricotta, drained, room temperature (you can
- make your own
- , if you like)
- 8 oz (225g) Cream Cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80g) Sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) Limoncello Liqueur (or lemon juice)
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract or one envelope of Vanillin
- 2 Large Eggs, room temperature, beaten
- 1 Hazelnut Chocolate Bar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Begin your recipe about an hour before you think you mean to by pulling the eggs, ricotta, cream cheese out of the refrigerator to get them to room temperature.
- Prepare the pressure cooker by adding two cups of water, and the steamer basket insert set aside.
- Then, grab a square of softened butter and rub it around the bottom and edges of your jar(s) or heatproof dish, set aside.
- In a small pan melt the butter. In the food chopper, pulverize the biscotti, pour in the melted butter and blend again one last time to incorporate.
- Press the crumbs with the back of your fingers or a spoon to the bottom of the jar, pan or form into a layer no thicker than ¼" inch or ½ cm.
- Place the jar in the refrigerator to solidify the crust while you move on to the next steps.
- In a mixing bowl with a hand blender, or with a fork stirring vigorously, break-up and mix the ricotta. Add the cream cheese and sugar. A little at a time, add the limoncello, vanilla, and lemon zest. When everything is mixed together, add the beaten eggs. The result will be the consistency of a very runny pancake batter.
- Take the jar out of the refrigerator, and delicately pour the cheese mixture over the crust in- a soup ladle a soup ladle will reduce spillage.
- Cover the jar tightly with tin foil and lower it into the pressure cooker.
- Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker reaches pressure, lower to the heat to the minimum required by the cooker to maintain pressure. Cook for 15-20 minutes at high pressure.
- When time is up, open the pressure cooker with the Natural release method - move the cooker off the burner and wait for the pressure to come down on its own (about 10 minutes). For electric pressure cookers, when cooking time is up count 10 minutes of natural open time. Then, release the rest of the pressure using the valve.
- Delicately remove the jars from the pressure cooker and place on a cooling rack, trivet, or other raised platform that will allow the air to circulate around the jar.
- Remove the tinfoil and let it cool this way for about an hour. Then, place in the fridge and let it chill thoroughly for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Attack a chocolate bar with the vegetable peeler to make hazelnut chocolate "splinters."
- Wipe the condensation off the jars and sprinkle splinters before serving.
Yum, this sounds lovely, thanks for sharing.
Great post! I’m looking to make some changes in my own eating habits, so I appreciate your insight a lot! Thank you. I recently stumbled upon this blog like I did yours and I thought your readers may appreciate it: http://burisonthecouch.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/food-for-thought/
I’ve started to look for their stuff more regularly and I think I’m going to add your blog to my list as well. Thanks for the post!
-Amy
Using pressure cooker for cheese cake seems pretty cool. My question is when you cook the cheese cake do you steam it or cook under pressure for some time? Can u plz clarify.
Interesting blog, even more interesting that you are sharing it in the Cheesecake recipe! But as you’ve seen, there’s lots of healthy-er stuff here, too!
Ciao,
L
Hi Priya, the short answer is… both!
In this recipe, I am using the pressure cooker to do the steaming. Next time, I will do a better photo further away so you can see that the steamer basket is inside the pressure cooker (with water underneath). Then it cooks this way, under pressure for 15 minutes. To finish the cooking, leave everything in the pan (steamer basket, cheesecake, etc.) with the top still on and locked after you have released the pressure and let the residual heat do the rest for another 10 minutes! After that, you can take them out to cool down – they will keep cooking a little bit since the jars will remain hot for a while.
Was that a little bit clearer?
I’m happy to answer your questions!
Ciao,
L
Today I made the cheesecake following your recipe step by step. I even made my own ricotta cheese. The result was unbelievably tasty and delicious.
I liked it so much that I am going to make it again and again. Next, I will make the creme caramele and the fruit clafoutis.
Thank you for these lovely recipes.
I´m so glad to read about your success!
I do try to only post the best recipes that always work out. There are actually a few that don´t make it to the website at all because the results were unpredictable – and others, like the Bolognese Sauce, go through lots of trial and error until I get just the right method.
The Creme Caramel will blow your mind! At first, I tired several “pressure cooker” creme caramel recipes that turned out horrible. Then I decided to just do the traditional recipe but cooked in the pressure cooker. It worked like a charm, over, and over and over again! In fact, it is one of the recipes I do to test out new pressure cookers.
Would love to read more about your next adventure in the world of pressure cooker desserts!
Ciao,
L
Can you make this recipe without a pressure cooker – it sounds delicious and looks so pretty.
Absolutely! Just place inside a large roasting pan with water coming up half-way and cook in the oven at 350F/175C for about an hour.
Refer to Giada’s Limoncello Cheesecake Squares recipe for details!
Ciao,
L
What’s the brand of that cute little squat-bodied jar? It’s adorable.
The jar doesn’t have a brand name – I bought it packed with anchovies in olive oil!!
Ciao,
L
I made this yesterday in a 7″ cake tin inside my PC with a couple of alterations – mascarpone instead of ricotta, ginger biscuits (Cantucci would have been better but I had none) and I added dried fruit soaked for a while in the limoncello. Altogether a fabulously creamy, dreamy cheesecake. Thanks again for the inspiration Laura.
Absolutely lovey – and the fruit soaked in limoncello was a great touch!
Ciao,
L
You might try these: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20227984/
Maybe a bit too big?
I have an instant pot 6 in one , what do you mean by minimal pressure. My IP only has high but does have a steam button would that work?
Rosalind, don’t worry, those are instructions for stovetop pressure cookers (this is an older recipe that needs updating). Just punch-in the cooking time in your Instant Pot and you’re all set!
Ciao,
L
I BEG everyone to be kind to their bodies and use real vanilla extract! I was HORRIFIED to read “or one envelope Vanillan” Vanillan is what they use in cheap processed foods and it is POISON. I am by no means a health nut … But why poison yourself when vanilla isnt that much more expensive??!
I tend to agree. But it is the only option for some. Personally I have my doubts about Vanilla extract too. I use Vanilla sugar which I make myself. Or just use the pod directly. Mind you there are worse poisons out there. Like coffee!
Great recipe – I’m using my pressure cooker a lot more these days, and am looking for new dishes to cook in it. I’ve been using the jars with the clamps for years in the pressure cooker, to sterilize (much faster than processing in a conventional water bath), and I’ve never had any problems with breaking jars. I do put them on a trivet or folded tea towel though.
Laura,
This recipe looks so good! I want to make it but it calls for limoncello which is alcohol. Aren’t we warned never to pressure cook an alcohol-based ingredient? Thanks.
I saw this recipe in the Instant Pot Recipe Booklet. Unfortunately that version only included steps 1 through 10 and did not list the sizes of the containers. I am so glad that your website was noted in that book. I will check back for more recipes.
Thanks Karen, unfortunately Instant Pot did a TERRIBLE job of transcribing my recipes.
Ciao,
L