Cheesecakes always bring a touch of elegance to any meal. Today I'll share two recipes: one prepared with a purchased graham cracker crust and the other made with the old-fashioned method complete with a springform pan. Both are sure to be a tasty completion to your meal.

Top off your next Mexican-inspired meal with this delicious cheesecake. This recipe is courtesy of The Philadelphia Cream Cheese Ultimate Cheesecakes cookbook.

Key Lime Cheesecake 

Ingredients
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh key lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 graham cracker pie crust

Instructions
Mix cream cheese, sugar, juice, peel and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs; mix until combined. Pour into crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with lime slices and whipped topping.

Thanks to Martha Stewart for incorporating the perfect blend of salty/sweet/tart. The crust is ground pretzels. Add the tartness of lime juice and zest ... then tequila and triple sec. It's a margarita in a cheesecake. This one won rave reviews all around. Consider serving this dessert on Taco Tuesdays!

Margarita Cheesecake 

Ingredients
For the crust:
4 ounces salted pretzels
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling:
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
1 tablespoon tequila
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
4 large eggs

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in center. Make the crust: Butter a 9 1/2 inch springform pan; set aside. In a food processor, pulse pretzels to fine crumbs. Add sugar and butter; process until combined.

Press evenly into bottom and slightly up sides (about 1 inch) of a 9-inch nonstick springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Prepare filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Mix in sour cream, sugar, Grand Marnier, tequila and lime zest; beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition.

Pour into a cooled crust (filling will come up higher than crust). Line the outside of pan with aluminum foil (to prevent water from seeping into the pan). Place the springform pan in a roasting pan. Pour hot water to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until set and slightly firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Remove from the water bath and let cool on a wire rack; refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours. Run a hot knife around edge of pan to release.