Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup finely crushed imported amaretti biscuits (18 to 20 biscuits)
• 2 tbs butter, softened
• 1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs flour
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 6 tbs Amaretto liqueur
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the amaretti crumbs and butter. Crumble until well blended. Reserve 1 tbs of the crumb mixture. Press the remaining mixture onto the bottom and sides of a greased 10-inch springform pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Beat in the 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 tbs at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in the flour. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the Amaretto and vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the cheesecake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and the center is not quite set, about 30 to 35 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes.

Combine the sour cream and remaining 2 tbs of sugar. Let stand until the sugar dissolves completely; stir to blend. Carefully spread the sourcream mixture in a smooth layer over the top of the cake, up to but not touching the sides of the pan. Return to the oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Cool, in the pan, to room temperature. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs around the outside rim of the cake to form a border. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and set, for at least 4 hours. Remove the sides from the pan. Let cake stand at room temperature for 10 minutes prior to serving.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: San Francisco Encore, Junior League
Submitted By: Rick Smith
rick@dragons.net
Amaretto Cheesecake