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Cherry: Cherry Amaretto Cheesecake

Source of Recipe

www.ichef.com


List of Ingredients

1/2 box plain vanilla wafers, crushed
4 ounces sliced almonds, toasted, finely chopped
1 stick melted and cooled butter
32 ounces cream cheese
1 pint sour cream
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
8 ounces amaretto liqueur

TOPPING:
1 pound frozen dark sweet cherries, pitted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup amaretto liqueur
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 pint chilled heavy cream
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon amaretto


Recipe

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine butter, crumbs and nuts. Press into bottom and sides of springform pan and bake 8-10 minutes. Cool before filling Soften cream cheese with sour cream, and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Sprinkle flour onto mix and beat well; add sugar. With wooden spoon, beat in Amaretto. pour into prepared crust and bake 1 hour. Center will be jiggly and will set up as it cools. Turn off oven and leave door ajar for another hour. Run thin knife around edge of pan, and cool in refrigerator several hours.

Combine cherries and sugar in non-reactive bowl. Macerate at room temperature at least an hour to release juices. Remove cherries from bowl with slotted spoon and put in skillet with Amaretto. Put cornstarch into small bowl and pour cherry juice over. Stir until smooth, with no lumps remaining. Heat the cherries til near boiling, and carefully ignite. Let burn out, or extinguish with lid. Reduce heat, add cornstarch/juice mix, and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove to clean bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap to inhibit skin growth. Chill completely before topping cake.

Chill bowl, cream and beaters. Dissolve 1/4 tsp. powdered gelatin into 1/2 tsp. warm water. Put 10x sugar into bowl, and pour on cream. Beat till soft peaks, and pour in gelatin. Beat a few more minutes, and add Amaretto or flavoring of choice. Beat till thick. Very good for rosettes and borders. To remove cake from bottom of springform pan, freeze it an hour or two out of the ring. Put a plate on top, flip it over, put a plate on the bottom, and flip it again.