Sweet Cheesecake Recipes

Amaretto Cheesecake

A version of this cheesecake in a back issue of Gourmet magazine inspired us to make one of our own. Here we have a delicate but pronounced almond-flavored cheesecake with a crunchy chocolate nut crust. This creamy cheesecake is not too sweet and lends itself to dressing up with a garnish of grated chocolate or a drizzle of sauce. When making any cheesecake, resist the temptation to beat the cream cheese on high speed. On medium speed, the cream cheese softens and becomes lump-free without breaking down.

Amaretto Cheesecake

Yield: 12 to 16 slices

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup whole almonds with the skins on
  • 1 box chocolate wafer cookies
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 stick (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

  • 1/2 cup Love’n Bake® Almond Paste
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur or vanilla extract
  • 5 eggs
  • Grated bittersweet chocolate or chocolate sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the paper.

Crust

  1. Spread out the almonds in one layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until lightly browned and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the almonds then chop them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Transfer the nuts to a small bowl.
  2. Crumble the chocolate wafers into the food processor. Add the sugar and grind until you have fine crumbs. Add the crumbs to the ground almonds in the bowl. Stir in the melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
  3. Press the crumb mixture into an even layer in the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes then set it on a wire rack to cool while preparing the filling.

Filling

  1. Grate the Love’n Bake® Almond Paste into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed to combine. The almond paste will still be in visible pieces. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium speed for one minute to soften. Scrape the bowl then beat on medium speed until the mixture lightens, about 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl then add the Amaretto and the eggs one at a time.
  2. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake until the cheesecake is evenly browned and barely jiggles in the center, about 50 to 60 minutes.
  3. Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the rack and allow the cheesecake to cool completely before refrigerating. (This helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking in the center as it cools.)
  5. Place a sheet of paper towel loosely over but not touching the cheesecake then cover it with plastic wrap to keep any moisture that may condense on the plastic from dripping on the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight before serving.
  6. When ready to serve, remove the sides of the pan. Using a knife dipped in hot water, cut each slice, wiping off the blade between slices. Sprinkle each piece with grated chocolate or chocolate sauce if desired.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Love’n Bake® - AmericanAlmond.com



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