Lime No-Bake Cheesecake

It's Labour Day weekend.  I'm not generally a fan of this weekend because it heralds the end of summer, and I feel the impending doom of winter approaching.  (Yes, it's official the Fluudbloggler is a bit of a drama queen.  To top it off, the weather where I live, usually sucks on Labour Day weekend. This year however is different - it's ridiculously hot, and that makes me feel a lot better.  

I still felt that I needed a nice sweet treat to get me through the weekend.  However, since it's SO very hot, I don't want to turn on the oven.  A no-bake cheesecake seems to be the answer.

This is so easy.  I normally make a plain no bake cheesecake, and then just add cherry pie filling on top.  I love the taste of lime though, so decided to experiment and make a lime no-bake cheesecake.  You can use the basic cheesecake recipe below for either option.

And because it's so easy, it's such an easy do-ahead or do last minute if you are suddenly invited to a last minute Labour Day weekend BBQ. 

Recipe by Fluudbloggler

Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients

• 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 1/4 cup white sugar (for crust)
• 1/4 cup soft or melted butter
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup white sugar white sugar (for filling)
• 1 package (8 oz, 250 grams) cream cheese
• 1 tbsp lime zest
• 1/4 cup lime juice (from one lime)
• 1 tbsp additional lime juice (optional)
• 1/2 cup additional whipping cream whipped with 1/4 cup sugar (optional)
• **If you are making a basic cheesecake not lime flavoured, simply omit the lime juice and zest and replace with 1 tsp vanilla 

Cooking Directions

1. Mix graham crackers, 1/4 cup sugar, and butter together until well incorporated.
   
2. Press down into 9" pie shell.
3. Place in fridge until ready to use.
4. Whip whipping cream until stiff, set aside.
   
5. Zest lime, set aside.
6. Juice the lime.
7. Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
   
8. Add the lime zest and lime juice, and mix until very smooth. 
   
   
   
   
   
9. You will notice that this doesn't look very GREEN for a lime cheesecake, so you can add a few drops of green food colouring if you like.  I prefer the natural colour. 
10. Pour into graham crust and refrigerate until ready to serve - at least 2 hours. 
    
11. If you want, you can pipe the additional sweet whipped cream on top. 
    
12. And you are really feeling industrious you can candy some limes and add for garnish (recipe follows)

Even though I said I was making this cheesecake so I did not have to turn on the oven, I did have to use my stove to candy the limes.  This is totally optional, and I did it just because it was something I had never tried before.  

How to candy a lime (or lemon or orange)

Ingredients

• 1 lime
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp additional white sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Thoroughly wash the outside of the lime.
2. Thinly slice lime.
   
3. Place in a pot of boiling water and boil for 2 minutes.
4. Remove limes from water, and discard water.
5. In same pot, pour 1/2 cup fresh water, 1/2 cup sugar and stir.
6. Place lime slices in this water, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
7. Place limes on wire rack (with parchment paper under to avoid mess) and cool for one hour.
8. Sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar on large plate or baking dish.
9. Press limes on sugar, and coat entire lime.
   
10. Keep in fridge until ready to use. 

AND...I actually kept the water-sugar that I cooked the limes in to add to my afternoon mojito. Cheers.