Key Lime Cheesecake

Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 (8oz ea) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 (8oz) carton sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1/2 cup key lime juice
• Strawberry-Butter sauce

Instructions:

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter and firmly press the mixture onto the bottomo and 1-inch up the sides of a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes at 350°, then cool. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, gradually adding 1 1/4 cups sugar, beating well. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in the sour cream, zest and juice. Beat the egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form, then fold into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the batter into the crust. Bake at 350° for 65 minutes, then turn the oven off and partially open the door, leaving the cheesecake in the oven for 15 minutes to cool. Remove from the oven and immediately run a knife around the sides to loosen. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then cover and refrigerate for 8 hours. Serve with Strawberry-Butter sauce.

Strawberry-Butter sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest

Instructions:

Process the strawberries in a food processor until smooth, then stir in the remaining ingredients.