Gluten-Free Amaretto Cheesecake
Hello everyone! I hope that you are having a great day so far. Mine has been good. Layla and I went for a walk after work and I helped my sister make a casserole for her friend. Somehow I always end up in the kitchen at night. Whether I’m cooking something for myself or for others, it is the best place to unwind from my day.
A few days ago, I baked a gluten-free cheesecake for an office birthday party. The birthday girl chose this recipe from Health Magazine and I (of course) altered it just a little to suit my gluten-free needs. This cheesecake is a bit lighter than a typical cheesecake because of the reduced fat content. You don’t have to make the almond brittle, but it adds a nice, sweet crunch to the dessert.
Gluten-Free Amaretto Cheesecake with Almond Brittle
Slightly adapted from Health Magazine
Cake:
- Cooking spray
- 1 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup organic unsalted butter, melted
- 3 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
- 2 Tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur) or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract + 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 organic large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- Dash of salt
Preparation:
1. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. To make cake crust: Place almonds, flour, and sugar in a food processor; process until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; pulse until combined. Press crust evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely. Reduce oven heat to 300°.
3. Place cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Gradually add condensed milk, amaretto or extracts, and vanilla to mixture; beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce mixer speed to medium; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until cheesecake is puffed on sides and slightly jiggly in center (55-60 minutes). Let cool completely on a wire rack. Tightly cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and set (at least 8 hours or up to 2 days).
4. To make brittle: Increase oven heat to 350°. Place almonds on a baking sheet; toast until golden brown and fragrant (about 5-7 minutes), stirring twice. When cool, push almonds close together in an 8-inch circle.
Heat a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat; add sugar, water, and salt to pan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; bring mixture to a boil, washing down sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals. Boil, without stirring, until caramel is a light amber color, then swirl the pan to even out the color. (The color of carmel should be slightly lighter than in the photo below. I was disappointed that I cooked the brittle about a minute too long and it created a burn flavor in the brittle.)
Immediately pour caramel in a circular motion evenly over almonds on baking sheet, coating well. Allow brittle to cool and harden (about 15 minutes). Break into smaller pieces; place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Crush brittle into 1/2-inch pieces with a rolling pin.
5. To serve, run a knife around inside edge of pan to loosen cake; remove side of pan. Using your palms, coat side of cheesecake with praline pieces; carefully press remaining praline pieces into top of cake. Cut cheesecake into wedges with a serrated knife dipped into hot water; wipe knife dry after each cut.
It was delish and I might play around with some new cheesecake flavor combos in the future. Let me know if you make this dessert. Okay, well I’m off to watch last night’s The Voice on OnDemand. Have a great night tonight :)
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