Amaretto-Brown Sugar Cheesecake

I love to cook. Love to bake. Love to try exotic flavors. Sadly, my local friends are less inclined towards experimentation. So, I walk a thin culinary line - what can I make that will intrigue me, without alienating them? Last week, we had guests over for a duel celebration – my birthday, their engagement. What dessert to serve? Cheesecake seemed like a friendly and versatile option, and many of my (further afield) friends had some excellent flavor suggestions. In the end, I decided to go with something both familiar and unusual, at least in a cheesecake. Amaretto was new for me, since I hadn’t made many cheesecakes with liqueurs, and thought I could do with a little practice. Brown sugar, one of my favorite ingredients, also seemed like a good chance to do something slightly off the beaten track without terrifying my guests. The result was a cheesecake with very subtle flavor and sweetness, devastatingly rich (berries very necessary), and of a pretty darn good texture. The basic recipe can be changed to make room for any number of flavor agents, and someday, when my exotic friends come over, I’ll throw in mangoes, rum, caramel swirls, and who knows what else. In the meantime, this was fun to play around with.

A quick note on the (very detailed - sorry) recipe itself – the crust was excellent, in that it was practically water-tight. Many novice cheesecakers like myself have trouble keeping moisture out – I took a suggestion from a reviewer and added a few tablespoons of honey. It did add a bit of gooeyness to the crust, but I preferred that to soggy crust syndrome. Cookies and nuts can be switched out to suit your fancy. I also added a tablespoon of flour to the recipe just for stability, because the recipe is on the custardy side, and I worried it wouldn’t set well (a fear I believe was unfounded, but if you’re making this to serve to others it can’t hurt). Finally, I settled on strawberries because they are a favorite of my newly-engaged girlfriend, but I believe any berry with a little tartness would work equally well. Play with this recipe – it’s a bit time consuming, but worth it!

Amaretto-Brown Sugar Cheesecake

Adapted from “The Ultimate Cheesecake” by Tyler Florence
Yield: 8-12 servings

Ingredients
Crust:
½ cup ground ginger snaps
½ cup coarsely ground toasted almonds
1 cup finely ground amaretti cookies (18 cookies)
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. honey
¾ stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened (leave at room temp for one hour)
3 eggs (leave at room temp for one hour)
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
½ cup white sugar
1 ¾ cups sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2.5 T. amaretto
1 T. flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Set a kettle of water to boil.

For the Crust:
In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a fork (or your fingers) until evenly moistened. Trace a circle the size of the bottom of the pan (preferably an 8-inch springform pan) on parchment paper and cut out – it must fit EXACTLY inside the bottom of the pan (if the overlap goes into the sides, you’ll have leakage). Save the long scraps to make collar for the side of the cheesecake. Using cooking spray to “glue” the parchment to the pan, place the circle in the bottom, and press the cuff along the sides, then lightly coat the bottom and sides with a touch more nonstick cooking spray - this will make it easier to remove the cake from the pan after chilling.



Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and up the sides as far as it will hold. Refrigerate for 5 minutes to ensure a solid pack. Then place in the oven for 5-10 minutes, just until fragrant and dry. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. Cool on a wire rack (takes roughly 30 minutes). Once cooled, spray the crust with a layer of canola oil or cooking spray.



For the Filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides and beater, until smooth and free of any lumps. You don’t want to over beat after adding the eggs, so make sure it’s super creamy now. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add brown and white sugars a few tablespoons at a time (alternating colors, if you can) and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream, amaretto, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well mixed but not over-beaten.



To Bake and Cool:
Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of extra-wide aluminum foil (you NEED the kind 18” wide, or you will end up with leaks and be very sad) or use two sheets to create a double layer (or triple, if you’re a worrier). Press the foil UP, tightening it close to the pan, trimming or crimping any pieces that creep too high. Check for cracks at the bottom. Carry cake only by the sides from now on. Place the cake pan in a larger roasting pan, and pour the filling into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bang it down once on the bottom if your crust can handle it…it will bring up some potential air bubbles. Put the pan with the cake centered inside on the pulled-out oven rack. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan at the corner until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake, but some steam in likely to condense in the layers, so don’t panic if you see some moisture when you unwrap.



Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. The cheesecake should still JUST jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), but not be runny, so be careful not to over or under cook (experience is key – and know your oven!). Leave in oven, with the oven turned off and with the oven door slightly open, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and pan, remove foil wrappings, and cool on rack 30 minutes. Finally, chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered first with a paper towel stretched across the top (for condensation), then with plastic wrap, for at least 8 hours.



To Serve:
Unmold the cake from the cuff section of the springform and transfer to a cake plate by sliding the cake off the base of the pan using the parchment paper base. Remove the parchment from the sides, but leave the bottom in place. Top with fresh berries, sour cream, whipped cream, or toasted almonds.
Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.