Lime flavoured New York cheesecake

Ingredients:

NYC Cheesecake

• 350g digestive biscuits. I used Anzac cookies instead
• 120g unsalted butter, melted. Need more for greasing
• 900g of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 150g of castor sugar
• 5 large eggs
• Juice of 6 limes (apprx. 125ml)
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime

For the meringue topping

• 3 large eggwhites
• 110g of castor sugar
• 40g of desiccated coconut

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160C or 310F. Grease a 24cm loose bottom cake tin. I used a 20cm and ratio the measurements above
2. Put the biscuits into a food processor and whiz until fine crumbs or place in a ziplock bag and beat it with a rolling pin and then roll it out to fine crumbs. Now mix in the melted butter. Spread the buttered crumbs onto the base of the greased and baking papered cake tin and make sure all the edges are covered as well. Press with hands to get it packed and put in fridge until ready for use
3. Whiz the Philadelphia cream cheese in a food processor until smooth, then gradually add the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and then adding another. Pour in the lime juice and whiz again until just combined
4. The mixture will seem quite thin but it is ok. Pour this cheese mixture into the chilled biscuit tin. Make sure it is all spread out evenly
5. Bake in oven for between 40 to 55 minutes. Just check at 40 minutes. Make sure that the cheesecake still has a wobble
6. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool. Now turn oven up to 220C or 425F
7. To make the meringue topping, put egg whites into a clean bowl and beat until soft peaks. Gradually add the white sugar and beat until glossy. Now you can fold in the coconut. Spoon this meringue mixture on to the middle of the cooled cheesecake and spread it to the edges, about 2cm thick
8. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until the meringue begins to brown and is quite crisp to touch
9. Let it cool down. Place in the fridge to chill for a few hours. It needs to chill before serving. Carefully remove the tin, sprinkle with lime zest and you can serve this with fresh raspberry, strawberries and even mango if they are in season