Preparation / Directions:
INGREDIENTS
CRUST
7 oz Amaretti (see note)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 oz unsweetened chocolate (1 square)
5 Tbsp sweet butter
FILLING
6 oz semisweet chocolate
7 oz Amaretti
4 oz almond paste
1/3 cup Amaretto liqueur
1 1/2 lb cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs (large or extra-large)
1/2 cup heavy cream
PROCEDURE (CRUST)
Butter the sides only (not the bottom) of a 9-inch spring-form pan (2 1/2-3
inches deep).
Grind the Amaretti very fine in a food processor or blender. Mix with sugar
in a mixing
bowl.
Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler, stirring
occasionally. Add the
melted mixture to the Amaretti crumbs and sugar and mix thoroughly. (Don't
wash the
double boiler; you'll be using it again in a minute.)
Turn the mixture into the prepared pan. With your fingers, distribute it
evenly over the
bottom and press it down into a very firm, compact layer. Refrigerate while
you prepare
the filling.
PROCEDURE (FILLING)
Adjust rack 1/3 up from the bottom of the oven and preheat to 350 deg. F.
Partially melt
chocolate in the top of a double boiler, then uncover and stir until
completely melted.
Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside to cool. Break the
Amaretti coarsely
into a bowl and set aside.
Cut the almond paste into small pieces, and beat on low speed with an
electric mixer,
while gradually adding the Amaretto liqueur. Beat until thoroughly mixed,
and set aside.
Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and
beat until
smooth again. Add the almond paste-Amaretto mixture and beat until
thoroughly mixed.
Add the melted chocolate and beat well again. Add the eggs one at a time,
beating at
low speed until they are incorporated after each addition. Add the heavy
cream and beat
until smooth. Add the coarsely broken Amaretti and stir gently only to mix.
Turn into the prepared pan, pouring the mixture over the bottom crust.
Rotate the pan
gently to level the batter. (Don't worry if the mixture comes almost to the
top; it won't
run over.)
Bake 45 minutes. It will seem soft and not done, but don't bake any more; it
will become
firm when chilled. The top of the cake is supposed to look bumpy because of
the large
chunks of Amaretti.
Let cool completely at room temperature, then carefully remove the sides of
the pan and
refrigerate the cake (still on the bottom of the pan) for 4 to 6 hours, or
overnight.
NOTES
Amaretti are Italian almond-flavored wafer cookies. They are usually sold in
metal tins
with the wafers wrapped in packages of two inside the tin. You can also buy
Amarettini,
which are the same flavor but much smaller and not individually wrapped.
Since you're
going to grind some of the wafers and break the others into chunks, it
doesn't matter
which size you start with. One brand is Amaretti di Saronna, Lazzaroni and Co.
This is an
expensive cake, both in terms of the cost of the ingredients ($15-$20) and
the number of
calories.
RATING
Difficulty: moderate to hard. Time: 30 minutes preparation, 45minutes
baking, overn
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