More Baking (Our Oven is Begging for Mercy)

Hello, lover.

Cake is not this yellow...that's our crappy kitchen lighting.

Oh, and I'm still figuring out this new camera.

This recipe came from a coworker at the ex-job who adapted it from a published recipe (magazine unknown). I am responsible for bringing this cheesecake at all the family gatherings that are held at my dad and stepmom's.

Rather than a traditional graham cracker crust, this recipe uses vanilla wafer cookies as a foundation for a really nice cheesecake. It is dense yet light, and has a great almond scent. If you need one reason to start a diet on January 1st, this is it.

Amaretto Cheesecake

a.k.a. "Worth-Every-Calorie Cheesecake"

Crust

1-3/4 cup vanilla wafer cookie crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

Cake

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk*

1/4 cup Amaretto liquor

Dash salt

4 large eggs

Topping

1 (16-ounce) carton sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Garnish: Toasted slivered almonds (optional)

1. Combine crust ingredients; press in bottom and up sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Chill. (I bake mine in the oven for 10 minutes but only because I like my crust crunchy.)
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar and condensed milk at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.
3. Add amaretto and salt; beat until blended.
4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes; cool 10 minutes.
6. Combine sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and almond extract. Spread over cheesecake. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately chill for 8 hours.
7. Sprinkle with toasted almonds right before serving.

Yield: 12 - 14 servings.

*As for what to do with the last 1/2 of the can of sweetened condensed milk, I suppose you could stir it into your coffee or spread it on toast but I prefer to dip the leftover vanilla wafer cookies into it and eat them while watching classic holiday movies.