Ingredients
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Crust 7 ounces (about 30) Amaretti di Saronno Lazzaroni & Co. macaroons 2 tablespoons sugar 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate 5 tablespoons sweet butter Filling 6 ounces semisweet chocolate 7 ounces (about 30) Amaretti di Saronno Lazzaroni & Co. macaroons 4 ounces almond paste cut into very small pieces 1/3 cup Amaretto di Saronno liqueur 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 4 eggs, large or extra large 1/2 cup heavy cream
Procedure
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Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides only of a 9-inch
springform pan. Place amaretti in a food-processor bowl fitted with
the steel blade, or in a blender. Process or blend until you have
made very fine crumbs. (In a blender, you may have to do this in
batches.) You should have 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. Place the
crumbs in a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar. Place the chocolate and
butter in the top of a double boiler over hot water on moderate heat.
Stir occasionally until melted. Add to amaretti crumb mixture and
stir to mix thoroughly. Turn into the springform pan and distribute
it over the bottom and press firmly. It must be a very firm and
compact layer, and on bottom only. Refrigerate while you prepare the
filling.
Filling: Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot
water on moderate heat. Cover until partially melted, then uncover
and stir until completely melted. Remove the top of the double boiler
and set it aside, uncovered, to cool slightly.
Place the amaretti in their tissue wrappings on a cutting board. With
a hammer, hit each package hard enough to break the macaroons
coarsely, but not hard enough to tear the paper. Place the broken
macaroons in a bowl and set aside.
Place almond paste pieces in the small bowl of an electric mixer.
While beating on low speed, very gradually add the Amaretto liqueur
and beat until thoroughly mixed. Set aside. In the large bowl of the
electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and
beat until smooth. Add the almond paste mixture and beat until
thoroughly mixed. Add melted chocolate and beat well once more. Set
the mixer at low speed and add the eggs one at a time and beat only
until they are incorporated after each addition. Add the heavy cream
and beat only until smooth. This cheesecake should not be beaten
until it becomes light and airy. Add the broken macaroons and stir
together gently only to mix. Pour mixture evenly over the bottom
crust.
Bake for 45 minutes. It will seem soft and not done, but do not bake
any longer; it will become firm when it is chilled. Remove from oven.
The top will look bumpy because of the amaretti. Let stand at room
temperature until completely cool. Carefully remove the sides of the
pan. Refrigerate the cake for 4 hours to 6 hours or overnight. You
may leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan; set on a
folded napkin to keep it from sliding when serving. You can remove
the cake from the bottom by carefully sliding a sharp, heavy knife
between the crust and pan bottom and slowly rotating the knife around
the pan to release the cake. Take 2 large spatulas, slide under the
crust and lift cake to serving plate. Serve cold. This cheesecake
freezes very well.
