Cheesecake: White Chocolate Almond with Almond Pralines for Christmas

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Oh what can I say about this cheesecake! It is completely divine and so elegant. I always make this cheesecake for our formal Christmas dinner and it's a hit every year.

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Ingredients

  • Crust:
  • 3/4 cup cinnamon graham crackers: crushed
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/4 cup ground blanched almonds
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • Cheesecake Filling:
  • 2 8oz pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • l teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 oz of white chocolate, melted
  • 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
  • Sour Cream Topping:
  • l cup sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • l teaspoon vanilla
  • Almond Praline:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cups sliced almonds
  • 4 oz white chocolate, melted

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat 350*


Crust:

Combine all ingredients in food processor and mix well. Put in an 8 or 9 inch springform pan, pressing bottom and sides of pan.

Cheesecake filling:

Beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well, then beat until smooth. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Fold in white chocolate then pour into pan and sprinkle edges with blanched almonds. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 20 minutes.

Sour Cream Topping:

Combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla in bowl, carefully spread on top of cake leaving border of nuts exposed. (A well usually forms in the center of the cake; fill this with the topping) Put cheesecake back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on rack then refrigerate. Just before serving, remove sides and garnish top of cake with large pieces of Almond Pralines.

Almond Pralines:

Cook sugar in small saucepan over medium heat, do not stir, swirl the pan occasionally until melted and amber in color, with a spoon, add almonds and coat well. Carefully pour onto a buttered baking sheet and let cool. When completely cool, break the praline into large even pieces, and then dip them halfway into melted chocolate Cool on wax paper. Makes about 8 pieces. Wedge the pieces with white chocolate side up into the outer edges of the cheesecake.

(Pipe whipped cream mounds on top of cheesecake and stick the wedges in the mounds of cream)

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