Mango Cheesecake with Basil Lemon Syrup

This was a great dessert for my Costa Rican themed dinner party! I thought the mango gave it a tropical feel and I lightened up all the ingredients so we could feel less guilty about enjoying it.

I do have to give a warning though: me and cheesecake have a troubled history... The last cheesecake I baked (and this one) call for a water bath, where you wrap the spring form pan in foil and put it in a roasting pan, add water to halfway up the pan and bake. Supposedly, this creates a nice bath of steam that prevents the cheesecake from cracking. Well, when I did that the first time the water seeped into my cheesecake and ruined it. This time I said forget the water bath and just baked it with a pan on the shelf below filled with water. It cracked anyway. So, the moral of the story is you figure it out.

Mango Cheesecake with Basil Lemon Syrup
Adapted from Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients

Mango Cheesecake:
8 oz biscotti (I used graham crackers)
3/4 c butter, melted
2 (8oz) packages light cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c reduced fat ricotta, at room temperature
2 c mango puree (I used fresh, but if you can find frozen, use that)
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 c sugar
Basil Lemon Syrup:
1 c sugar
1/4 c water
1/4 c lemon juice
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wrap the outside of a 9-inch spring form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool crust completely on a wire rack.

Blend the cream cheese and ricotta in a food processor. Add the mango puree, eggs, and sugar and pulse until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the mango mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the spring form pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the spring form pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hr 30 min. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack for 30 min. Place in the refrigerator and cool completely, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

For the basil lemon syrup, place the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Cool the syrup completely. In a blender, combine the basil and the cooled syrup. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped. If you want to, strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve.