We’ve just settled back in Amsterdam. It’s been a week since we (re)unpacked our suitcases, furniture, and boxes (and if you missed this chapter of our journey, I invite you to read my Letter from the Eurostar right here). I’m so happy to be living again in this city I love deeply—a place I’ll be sharing more about in the months to come, as I truly believe Amsterdam remains surprisingly little-known, especially in comparison to Paris :).
We’ve fallen in love with our new apartment, which is beautifully light-filled. From my kitchen, I now have a view over the Amstel canal—and I like to say that I cook (and bake!) with a view now… an everyday luxury I don’t take for granted. Though my kitchen boxes are still only half-unpacked, I couldn’t resist preparing a first meal: a ratatouille, followed by a lemon tart. I was eager to test my new oven—a convection oven, which works quite differently from the fan-assisted ovens I was used to. To my delight, the tart crust baked to perfection, and I was thrilled with the result. As someone who truly loves to cook, it was a relief to know I could work with this oven—which means I’ll be able to keep sharing recipes and culinary adventures with you… I hope to your delight as well ;)!
Today, I’d love to share one of my favorite recipes: my lime and speculoos cheesecake. I know—it’s not exactly a French classic—but it’s one of those easy, incredibly flavorful desserts that’s far too good not to share. In my opinion, the very best cheesecakes are citrus-based. The bright acidity of lime—or even lemon—brings just the right balance to the creamy richness of the filling. When it comes to citrus, I personally love when the flavor really shines, so I tend to be generous with both the zest and the juice. Feel free to adjust the quantities to your own taste. I truly hope you’ll enjoy it!
Speculoos Crumbs, Lime Zest, and a Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (150g) speculoos cookies, crushed
- 5 tbsp + 1 tsp (75g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp (60g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (20 cl) heavy whipping cream (full-fat)
- 10.5 oz (1⅓ cups or 300g) Philadelphia cream cheese (original, full-fat)
- Juice of 2 organic limes
- Zest of 2 organic limes
Instructions
Prepare the Speculoos Base:
- Crush the speculoos cookies into fine crumbs, then mix them with the melted butter. Spread the mixture evenly into a round, oval or rectangular mold, pressing it down firmly to form the base.
Make the Cream Cheese Filling:
- In a large bowl, beat the Philadelphia cream cheese until smooth. Add the lime juice, lime zest, and granulated sugar, and mix well until fully combined. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks, then gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
Assemble and Chill:
- Pour the filling over the speculoos bases in the molds. Smooth the tops, then refrigerate the cheesecakes for at least 4 hours, until set. Serve chilled. Bon appétit!
