Directions
Almonds and Amaretto in a caramel topped cheesecake.
Servings: 12 people
Equipment
- 1 9" Springform pan
Ingredients
For the base
- 1 3/4 cups Graham Cracker crumbs
- 5 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp Butter unsalted, melted
- 1 pinch Salt
For the cheesecake filling
- 4 packs Cream cheese 8 oz
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 4 ea Eggs - large
- 1/2 up Amaretto liqueur
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 pinch Salt
For the caramel topping
- 1 cup Almonds - sliced
- 1/2 cup Butter unsalted
- 1 cup Soft brown sugar - packed
- 1/3 cup Heavy cream
- 3 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
Instructions
For the crust
- Place oven racks in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350° Line a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper (cut to fit), set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and salt until well combined. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press crust into the bottom and halfway up the sides of prepared springform pan. Bake for 7 minutes and remove from the oven and set aside.
- Reduce oven heat to 325°F.
For the filling
- Using a hand mixer beat cream cheese with granulated sugar until smooth.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating mixture between each egg, then beat in the amaretto, vanilla extract and almond extract. Add cornstarch and salt and beat until smooth.
- Tap the cheesecake batter bowl on the counter for 30-45 seconds to remove as many air bubbles as possible. You should see them popping on the surface as you tap the bowl. Pour filling into the center of the graham cracker crust and smooth the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 325° Reduce temperature to 250°F and continue baking for another 35 minutes. Once this time has elapsed, turn the oven off and keep cheesecake inside for another 30 minutes, but DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. After the 30 minutes has passed, crack the oven door open to let cheesecake cool slowly for one hour before removing.
- Allow cheesecake to cool to room temperature on the counter (approximately 3-4 hours) before covering with plastic wrap and transferring to the fridge to chill.
- Refrigerate cheesecake until completely chilled (about 6-8 hours, or overnight). Remove from the springform pan.
For the caramel almond topping
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake them for 7 to 8 minutes or until just fragrant. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar, stirring often, until smooth. Add the heavy cream and amaretto and bring to a low boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in toasted almonds. Allow sauce to cool to room temperature before pouring over the cooled cheesecake.
- To serve, you can either ppur the topping over the cheesecak and let it run down or if you prefer use abouthalf the topping and reserve the remainder to pour on each slice when served.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
