Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

SERVES 10 to 12
TIME About 1 hour, plus 2 hours to cool


Ingredients:

20 thin chocolate wafer cookies (about 2 in. wide; 5 oz. total)
2 tbsp. melted butter or margarine
1 1/2 packages (8 oz. size, 12 oz. total) neufchâtel (light cream) cheese or cream cheese
1 cup small-curd low-fat cottage cheese
1 large egg
3/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup almond-flavor liqueur (such as amaretto) or 1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 tbsp. miniature (or coarsely chopped regular) semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:
1. In a food processor, whirl cookies until finely ground. Add butter and whirl until mixed. Press cookie mixture evenly over bottom and 3/4 in. up the side of a removable-rim 8-in. cheesecake or cake pan (at least 1 1/2 in. deep).

2. In a food processor or in bowl with a mixer, whirl or beat until smooth the neufchâtel, cottage cheese, egg, sugar, cocoa, flour, vanilla, salt, and almond liqueur. Stir in chocolate chips. Scrape mixture into chocolate crust.

3. Bake cheesecake in a 350° regular or convection oven until filling looks dry at rim of the cake and is firm in the center when pan is gently shaken, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Run a thin-bladed knife between cake and pan rim. Refrigerate cake, uncovered, until cool, at least 2 hours. Serve, or if making up to 2 days ahead, wrap airtight and chill. Remove pan rim and cut cake into wedges.

PER SERVING 241 cal., 45% (108 cal.) from fat; 7.3 g protein; 12 g fat (6.5 g sat.); 29 g carbo (1.2 g fiber); 331 mg sodium; 45 mg chol.


Serve With Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Santa Ynez Valley)