Almond Amaretto cheesecake

I can never resist coming back to the flavours of almonds, Amaretto and marzipan… I baked this almond Amaretto cheesecake out of a longing for that delicious almond flavour – a longing that has stayed with me since the festive season. It’s an unusual cheesecake, with a crunchy topping of flaked almonds; sweet and elegant. Highly recommended!

Ingredients for the base:

• 180 g wholemeal digestive biscuits
• 50 g butter, melted

Place the biscuits and butter in the bowl of a food processor and blitz until the biscuits are finely crushed and the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. If you don’t have a food processor, place the biscuits in a sturdy bag (such as a resealable one) and crush them thoroughly with a rolling pin or pestle, then combine with the melted butter.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin, spread evenly and press firmly into the base. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Wrap the outside of the tin twice with aluminium foil – the cheesecake will be baked in a water bath*.

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 750 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, finely ground three times
• 400 g sweetened condensed milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (or almond flavouring)
• 80 ml Amaretto or another almond liqueur
• 1 tablespoon potato starch
• 100 g toasted flaked almonds

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the curd cheese and condensed milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the liqueur and almond extract, then mix in the potato starch. Beat just until smooth; do not mix for too long, as this will unnecessarily incorporate air into the cheesecake mixture. Finally, add the toasted flaked almonds and fold them in.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the chilled biscuit base. Bake the almond Amaretto cheesecake for about 60–75 minutes at 150°C, in a water bath*. The cheesecake should be set and springy to the touch on top, particularly in the centre. Remove from the oven, remove the water bath and leave to cool. Remove the sides of the tin and chill the cheesecake in the fridge overnight.

Additionally:

• toasted flaked almonds, for decoration
• 2 tablespoons Amaretto almond liqueur
• ½ cup icing sugar

Mix the Amaretto with the icing sugar until smooth to make a glaze (using the back of a spoon or a mixer). If necessary, add more icing sugar or liqueur.

Decorate the almond Amaretto cheesecake with the glaze and sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top.

* The cheesecake is baked in a water bath: this involves placing the tin containing the cheesecake into a larger tin or ovenproof dish, then pouring in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the tin containing the cheesecake mixture. The cheesecake is baked surrounded by steam, creating a very humid environment. This allows the cheesecake to bake evenly throughout, even in the centre, prevents it from cracking and helps it retain a perfectly creamy texture. Read more about baking cheesecake in a water bath here.

Enjoy!