Amaretto Cheesecake

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 cup graham cracker (dry macaroon crumbs fine too)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup amaretto liqueur
• 2 1/2 lbs philadelphia cream cheese (five 8-ounce packs)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 5 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• salt, pinch
• 1/4 cup amaretto liqueur
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves (optional)
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted sliced

Recipe

• 1 crush enough graham crackers or very dry macaroons to make a cup. (macaroon crumbs sometimes can be found in pastry shops.) add butter and liqueur, and mix well. press into bottom of 10-inch buttered springform pan. preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 mix cream cheese and heavy cream at low speed in mixer until smooth. mix sugars and cornstarch together, and add to cream cheese. mix slowly just until mixture is smooth. add eggs and yolks while continuing to mix slowly. add salt and liqueur, and mix until smooth. pour over crust in prepared pan.
• 3 bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until a circle the size of a silver dollar is still soft. turn oven off. leave in oven until cool (about 1 hour). if desired, top cake with apricot preserves and garnish with toasted almonds. chill well before serving.