Recipe: Almond Cheesecake

Almond Cheesecake
Yields: 16 servings

40 amaretti cookies (about 3 cups)
4 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or light cream
1/4 cup almond-flavor liqueur or 1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sugared cranberries for garnish

In food processor, with knife blade attached, blend cookies until fine crumbs form (you should have about 1 cup crumbs). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In 9-inch by 3-inch springform pan, with fork, stir cookie crumbs and margarine until evenly moistened. With hand, press mixture firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on wire rack, about 30 minutes. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Turn oven control to 325 degrees F. In small bowl, with wire whisk or fork, mix sugar and cornstarch. In large bowl, with mixer and medium speed, beat cream cheese and ricotta until smooth, about 3 minutes. At low speed, slowly beat in sugar mixture, then eggs, half-and-half, liqueur, and vanilla just until blended, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula (cream-cheese mixture will be very thin.) Pour cheese mixture onto crust. Bake cheesecake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until filing is firm 2 inches from edge of pan and center is still jiggly. Turn off oven; let cheesecake remain in oven 1 hour longer. Remove cheesecake from oven. Cook completely in pan on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate cheesecake at least 6 hours or overnight until well chilled. (Cheesecake will firm during chilling.) To serve, carefully run knife around edge of cake to loosen. Remove side of pan. Garnish with sugared cranberries if you like.

Do-ahead tip: This cheesecake freezes beautifully. After thoroughly chilling as recipe directs in step 4, remove sides of springform pan from cheesecake and wrap tightly to freeze up to 2 weeks. Unwrap to thaw. If you want to preslice for easy serving, do it while still partially frozen.