Wanna Green Bean: Get Your Sombreros its National Margarita Day!

2 March 2009

Get Your Sombreros its National Margarita Day!

That’s right! National Margarita Day! Only it was last Sunday, February 22, sorry for the delay. Instead its Margarita Monday!

I thought about going over the 1001 and one ways to make a margarita, frozen, on the rocks, the type of tequila to use, should you use triple sec, cointreau or gran marnier (we usually use 1800 tequila and gran marnier on the rocks).

Instead this past weekend I made Smitten Kitchen’s Margarita Cookies and margarita cheesecake. You read that right, I made margarita flavored cheese cake. With real alcohol and limes.

Originally I was going to make a traditional baked cheesecake with limes and a margarita curd topping, but that takes too long. Instead I converted my peppermint cheesecake recipe which is faster and no-bake (which means all the alcohol stays in the dessert).

Crust Ingredients:
Vanilla Wafers (as needed 1-2 cups crushed)
Butter or margarine, melted (as needed)
1-2 Tablespoons of salt
Filling Ingredients:
1 envelope (or 1 tbsp) unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup margarita (or margarita mixer)
16-oz cream cheese (must be room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup margarita
zest from 2 limes
1 cup whipping cream
1 9-inch round spring-form pan.
Margarita Curd Topping:
1/3 cup margarita
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1 tablespoon heavy cream
pinch table salt

Directions:

(Start with making the margarita curd if you are in a hurry.)

Crush cookies into crumbs using a food processor, or ziplock baggie and a rolling pin. Create a mixture of 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 cup of crumbs.

Increase the amount if needed to cover the bottom of the springform pan. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool.

Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup of margarita (or mixer), then heat on low until dissolved.

Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing until well blended. Add in the dissolved gelatin. Gradually mix in the margarita, and lime zest and mix until smooth.

Whip the whipping cream. Fold in the whipped cream. Pour over the crust and refrigerate until firm.

While the cheesecake is chilling, or before making the cheesecake, prepare the margarita curd (there aren’t any pictures of this process because it moves quickly and I only have so many hands!).

Heat 1/3 cup margarita until hot but not boiling. There should be steam coming off of the drink but not bubbling. Whisk together the 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, then thoroughly wisk in the sugar. While whisking constantly, mix in the hot margarita. Pour the mixture back into the pot and heat on the stove stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick, and almost pudding-like, but not quite.

Take the mixture off the heat, and stir in the cubed butter. When that is melted, stir in the cream and salt. Move to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the curd (so it doesn’t get an icky film). Move to the refrigerator and allow to cool completely before topping the cheesecake.