DESSERTS - Amoretto Cheesecake

By juliekutil

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1/4 lb lightly salted butter
• 2 cup very finely ground crumbs from Amoretto biscuits
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Filling:
• 2 lbs (4 8oz. packages) cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 T Amoretto liqueur
• 1 tsp. Wagner's vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. Wagner's almond extract
• pinch of salt
• 4 large eggs
• Topping:
• 2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. Wagner's almond extract
• 1/2 cup blanched, sliced almonds, toasted

Preparation

Step 1

Crust:
Melt butter over very low heat. Combine butter with crumbs and sugar until well blended. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of an un-greased 10-inch springform pan.

Filling:
In a mixer combine cream cheese and sugar and beat for 2 minutes, or until soft (the cream cheese need not stand at room temperature). Add liqueur, extracts, salt and blend thoroughly. The eggs need not be at room temperature either. Add the eggs, one at a time, keeping the mixer on the lowest speed in order to prevent too much air from destroying the proper consistency of the batter. Pour filling into crust and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. If ingredients are not at room temperature, add five minutes to baking time. Remove from oven and let stand on counter top for ten minutes while you prepare the topping (this is a very essential step).

Topping:
Combine sour cream, sugar and almond extract with a rubber spatula in a plastic bowl. Spread evenly over top of baked filling, sprinkle with almonds and return to 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place in the refrigerator to cool immediately. This prevents cracks from forming in the cheesecake.