Margarita Cheesecake

Ingredients:

7 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine, cut up
5  limes
1  orange
8 ounce(s) (65 wafers) vanilla wafer cookies
4 package(s) (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
4 large eggs
1 container(s) (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup(s) orange-flavor liqueur or orange juice
Orange and lime slices, for garnish

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350° F. Wrap outside of 10" by 2 1/2" springform pan with foil to prevent leakage. While oven preheats, melt butter in springform pan in oven.
Meanwhile, from limes, grate 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 1/2 cup juice. From orange, grate 1/2 teaspoon peel. In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse vanilla wafers and 2 teaspoons lime peel to make fine crumbs (you should have about 2 1/2 cups crumbs). Stir crumbs into melted butter in springform pan, then press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of pan to form crust. Bake crust 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Gradually beat in sugar and salt until blended. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, 1 at a time, sour cream, liqueur, orange peel, lime juice, and remaining 1 tablespoon lime peel just until blended and smooth.
Pour cream-cheese mixture into crust, making sure to scrape any peel on beaters into batter. Bake cheesecake 45 minutes (cheesecake will still jiggle slightly in center). Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven 1 hour to cool slightly and set.
Remove cheesecake from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate cheesecake at least 6 hours, until well chilled or up to 2 days.

To serve, carefully remove side of springform pan. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature 30 minutes for better flavor. If you like, arrange orange and lime slices on top of cake for garnish.

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