Amaretto Cheesecake

Amaretto Cheesecake Ingredients

Crust
1 1/4 cups amaretti cookies or vanilla wafer crumbs
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp sugar

Cheesecake filling
24 oz cream cheese, room temperature (three 8 oz packages)
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp almond extract
5 tbsp amaretto liqueur

Mousse Topping
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tbsp amaretto liqueur
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
sliced almonds

Crust
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients and mix well.
3. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom.
4. Bake crust for 10 minutes then remove.
5. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in, and set aside.

Cheesecake filling
1. Reduce oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar and flour with an electric mixer until combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
4. Add the sour cream, almond extract and amaretto liqueur. Beat on low speed until well combined.
5. Pour the filling into the pan.
6. Drop the cheesecake on the counter a few times to release air bubbles that can cause cracks.
7. Place springform pan inside another pan. Fill outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour and 40-50 minutes.
9. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 10 minutes.
10. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 20 minutes or until set. This cooling process helps the cheesecake cool slowly to prevent cracks.
11. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill for 8 hours or overnight.

Mousse Topping
1. When cheesecake has chilled and is firm, make mousse topping. Add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and amaretto to mixing bowl and whip until stiff peaks form, for a total whipping time of about 5-7 minutes.
2. Set whipped cream aside and in another bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
3. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese until well combined.
4. Remove cheesecake from springform pan, then top with mousse.
5. Sprinkle cheesecake with sliced almonds and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Video and recipe Kristina from youtube

Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life

– Anna Akhmatova