Amaretto Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis

This cheesecake was a special request. But after searching and searching I couldn't find a recipe I liked, so I adapted a Dorie Greenspan recipe. It was a fantastic success. Keith has raved about steaming cheesecakes before like Dorie does in this recipe, but this was the first time I'd done it. I'll never go back to baking cheesecake again.


For the Crust:

1 ½ c. graham crackers crumbs
3 T. sugar
a pinch of salt
½ c. ground almonds
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the bottom of a 9" spring form with two layers of heavy aluminum foil. Mix the dry ingredients in a shallow bowl and then pour melted butter over. Mix thoroughly until damp and then press into the spring form pan going half way up the sides. Bake the crust for ten minutes until lightly browned. Cool, then wrap and freeze while preparing the rest of the cheesecake.

For the Cheesecake:

2 lbs. cream cheese (4 8-oz. packets), room temp.
1 1/3 c. sugar
½ t. salt
1 ½ t. pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temp.
1 c. sour cream
1/3 c. minus 2 T. heavy cream
2 T. amaretto
½ t. pure almond extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put a kettle on the stove to boil.

With a stand mixer use a paddle mixer, and beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and creamy, about 4 minutes. With the mixer running, add the sugar and salt and then continue to beat for another 4 minutes, until the cream cheese is light. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Add the eggs one by one, beating a full minute in between each one. Reduce speed and mix in the sour cream, amaretto, and heavy cream. Pour the mixture into the crust and then place in a large roasting pan. Fill half way up the side of the spring form pan with boiling water and place in the oven. Bake the cheesecake for 1½ hours. Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Let the cheesecake sit for another hour. Then carefully remove the whole contraption, take out the pan, and remove the foil. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, then cover with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Raspberry Coulis:

2 c. frozen raspberries
1-2 t. lemon juice
sugar to taste
2 t. cornstarch

Cook down the raspberries; then strain the berries through a fine sieve. Return strained berries to pan and add lemon juice and sugar to taste. Put cornstarch in a separate bowl and add just enough water to make a thin paste. Slowly stir into the raspberries until slightly thickened. Chill until serving time.