Chefs Karen Penner and Melissa Pearn,
Cafe au Livre
Ingredients
Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
Filling
35 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
7 large eggs
3 Tbsp amaretto liqueur
2 tsp vanilla
Topping
1/2 cup apricot jam, melted
3 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted
Fresh seasonal fruit (strawberries, oranges, blueberries, kiwi, etc)
Method
Crust
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix with a spoon until crumbly.
- Grease a 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Pack the crumb mix to the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 250˚F.
- In a bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the sugar and flour, and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer running, slowly add 4 of the eggs. Scrape down bowl. Blend in remaining eggs. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add amaretto and vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into the crust-lined pan.
- Wrap the bottom and the sides of the pan with a single sheet of aluminum foil.
- Place the cheesecake into a roasting pan and set inside the preheated oven. Pour hot water into the roasting pan, about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
- Bake at 250˚F for 1 1/2 hours. Turn oven off and leave in for another half hour.
- Remove cheesecake from oven, and remove aluminum foil from the pan. Cool at room temperature and refrigerate over night.
- Decorate with fruit and almonds, and pour melted jam overtop.
Yield 12 servings