CHOCOLATE AMARETTO CHEESCAKE: National Amaretto Day!

Today is National Amaretto Day. Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur. Interestingly enough it isn't always made from almonds. It's primarily made from apricot pits and spices. The original version was made in Saronno, Italy. Amaretto is Italian for "a little bitter." Here's a link to a Homemade Amaretto recipe on Chow.com.

I love this recipe for Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake. I've adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, but I've added more 'heavy' ingredients. My feeling, if you're going to do it, go all the way.

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients
6-10 chocolate wafers
Cooking spray
1 cup sugar
1 cup cottage cheese
12 ounces cream cheese
6 Tbsp DARK unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup Amaretto
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 Tbsp dark chocolate, chopped fine (or mini-chocolate chips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°

Crust
Place wafers in food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs into bottom of  8-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray.

Cheesecake
Place sugar and next 8 ingredients (sugar through salt) in food processor, and process until smooth.
Add egg, and process until blended.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan, and sprinkle with finely chopped dark chocolate.
Bake at 300° for 55 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched.
Remove cheesecake from oven, and run knife around outside edge.
Cool to room temperature.
Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Topping Ideas
Fresh Fruit (strawberries or raspberries)
Cherries soak in Rum
Whipped Cream (or Amaretto Whipped Cream)

AMARETTO TRUFFLES: National Amaretto Day

Today is National Amaretto Day. Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur. Despite that definition, it isn't always made from almonds. It's primarily made from apricot pits and spices. The original version was made in Saronno, Italy. Amaretto is Italian for "a little bitter." Here's a link to Homemade Amaretto at Chow.com.

AMARETTO TRUFFLES

Ingredients
10 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup Amaretto
1 cup blanched almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Directions 
In food processor with knife blade attached, blend both kinds of chocolate until finely ground. In 1-quart saucepan, heat cream to boiling on medium-high. With food processor running, add hot cream, butter, and liqueur to chocolate, and blend until chocolate mixture is smooth.
Grease 8" by 8" metal baking pan; line with plastic wrap. Pour chocolate mixture into pan; spread evenly. Refrigerate chocolate mixture until cool and firm enough to handle, at least 3 hours, or freeze 1 hour.
Place chopped almonds in small bowl; place cocoa in another small bowl. Invert chocolate block onto cutting board; remove and discard plastic wrap. Cut chocolate block into 8 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 squares. (To cut chocolate block neatly and easily, occasionally dip knife in hot water and wipe dry.)
One at a time, roll half the chocolate squares in chopped almonds to coat; roll remaining squares in cocoa.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTO CHEESECAKE: National Amaretto Day

Today is National Amaretto Day. Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur. Interestingly enough it isn't always made from almonds. It's primarily made from apricot pits and spices. The original version was made in Saronno, Italy. Amaretto is Italian for "a little bitter." Here's a link to a Homemade Amaretto recipe from Chow.com.

I love this recipe for Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake. I've adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, but I've added more 'heavy' ingredients. My feeling, if you're going to do it, go all the way.

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients
6-10 chocolate wafers
Cooking spray
1 cup sugar
1 cup cottage cheese
12 ounces cream cheese
6 Tbsp DARK unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup Amaretto
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 Tbsp dark chocolate, chopped fine (or mini-chocolate chips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°

Crust
Place wafers in food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs into bottom of  8-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray.

Cheesecake
Place sugar and next 8 ingredients (sugar through salt) in food processor, and process until smooth.
Add egg, and process until blended.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan, and sprinkle with finely chopped dark chocolate.
Bake at 300° for 55 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched.
Remove cheesecake from oven, and run knife around outside edge.
Cool to room temperature.
Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Topping Ideas
Fresh Fruit (strawberries or raspberries)
Cherries soak in Rum
Whipped Cream (or Amaretto Whipped Cream)

AMARETTO TRUFFLES: National Amaretto Day

Today is National Amaretto Day. Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur. Interestingly enough it isn't always made from almonds. It's primarily made from apricot pits and spices. The original version was made in Saronno, Italy. Amaretto is Italian for "a little bitter." Here's a link to Homemade Amaretto at Chow.com.

AMARETTO TRUFFLES

Ingredients
10 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
5 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup Amaretto
1 cup blanched almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Directions 
In food processor with knife blade attached, blend both kinds of chocolate until finely ground. In 1-quart saucepan, heat cream to boiling on medium-high. With food processor running, add hot cream, butter, and liqueur to chocolate, and blend until chocolate mixture is smooth.
Grease 8" by 8" metal baking pan; line with plastic wrap. Pour chocolate mixture into pan; spread evenly. Refrigerate chocolate mixture until cool and firm enough to handle, at least 3 hours, or freeze 1 hour.
Place chopped almonds in small bowl; place cocoa in another small bowl. Invert chocolate block onto cutting board; remove and discard plastic wrap. Cut chocolate block into 8 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 8 squares. (To cut chocolate block neatly and easily, occasionally dip knife in hot water and wipe dry.)
One at a time, roll half the chocolate squares in chopped almonds to coat; roll remaining squares in cocoa.

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Today is National Amaretto Day. Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur. Interestingly enough it isn't always made from almonds. It's primarily made from apricot pits and spices. The original version was made in Saronno, Italy. Amaretto is Italian for "a little bitter." Here's a link to a Homemade Amaretto recipe from Chow.com.

I love this recipe for Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake. I've adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, but I've added 'less' light ingredients. My feeling, if you're going to do it, go all the way.

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients
6-10 chocolate wafers
Cooking spray
1 cup sugar
1 cup cottage cheese
12 ounces cream cheese
6 Tbsp DARK unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup Amaretto
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 Tbsp dark chocolate chopped fine (or mini-chocolate chips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°

Crust
Place wafers in food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs into bottom of  8-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray.

Cheesecake
Place sugar and next 8 ingredients (sugar through salt) in food processor, and process until smooth.
Add egg, and process until blended.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan, and sprinkle with finely chopped dark chocolate.
Bake at 300° for 55 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched.
Remove cheesecake from oven, and run knife around outside edge.
Cool to room temperature.
Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Topping Ideas
Fresh Fruit (strawberries or raspberries)
Cherries soak in Rum
Whipped Cream (or Amaretto Whipped Cream)

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake: National Amaretto Day

Today is National Amaretto Day.  Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur. Interestingly enough it isn't always made from almonds. It's primarily made from apricot pits and spices. The original version was made in Saronno, Italy. Amaretto is Italian for "a little bitter." Here's a link to a Homemade Amaretto recipe from Chow.com.

I love this recipe for Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake. I've adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, but I've added 'less' light ingredients. My feeling, if you're going to do it, do it whole hog.

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients
6-8 chocolate wafers
Cooking spray
1 cup sugar
1 cup cottage cheese
12 ounces cream cheese
6 Tbsp DARK unsweetened Scharffen Berger cocoa
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I like King Arthur Flour)
1/8 cup Amaretto
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 Tbsp dark chocolate chopped fine (or mini-chocolate chips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°

Crust
Place wafers in food processor, and pulse until coarsely ground. Sprinkle crumbs into bottom of  8-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray.

Cheesecake
Place sugar and next 8 ingredients (sugar through salt) in food processor, and process until smooth.
Add egg, and process until blended.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan, and sprinkle with finely chopped dark chocolate.
Bake at 300° for 55 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched.
Remove cheesecake from oven, and run knife around outside edge.
Cool to room temperature.
Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Amaretto Truffles: National Chocolate Candy Day

Today is National Chocolate Candy Day! During WWII, the U.S. Government commissioned Milton Hershey to create a candy bar to include in the soldiers' rations. The recipe his company created is now the famous Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar. Today, chocolate is still an American favorite treat, and over 2.8 billion pounds are consumed annually in the U.S. On average each person consumes over eleven pounds per year--I think I account for much more, and if you're reading this blog, you probably do, too!

To celebrate National Chocolate Candy Day, enjoy these fabulous and easy Amaretto Truffles.

AMARETTO TRUFFLES

Ingredients
10 ounces dark chocolate (70-75% cacao, fair-trade), finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sweet butter
1/4 cup Amaretto
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup crushed amaretto cookies

Directions
Simmer cream in saucepan. Stir in butter.
Remove from stove and add chocolate, place pot over ice water.
Blend in liquor and nuts, whip lightly as mixture thickens, do not beat.
Cover and refrigerate until hardened.
With teaspoon, rolls into balls and place on cookie sheet, refrigerate again until hardened.
Dip truffles in crushed amaretto cookies.

Amaretto Truffles: National Amaretto Day

Today is National Amaretto Day. Amaretto. Amaretto is known as the Liqueur of Love.

A little background about Amaretto from HomeCooking: Amaretto is a liqueur with an almond flavor, but surprisingly, it may or may not contain almonds. The standard base of the liqueur is primarily made from apricot pits, and may contain any number of added spices and flavorings. The original version was made in Saronno, Italy. Amaretto is Italian for "a little bitter."

Amaretto History
The Lazzaroni family of Saronno, Italy, claims the title as the inventors of amaretto. They invented the Lazzaroni amaretto cookies around 1786 for the King of the region. Then in 1851, they created the Amaretto Liqueur, which consisted of an infusion of their cookies with a little caramel for color.

Another legend from the Reina family (who formerly worked for the Lazzaroni family) tells of amaretto being created by a widow who posed for Renaissance painter Bernardino Luini in 1525. The widow fell in love with the painter and made her amaretto potion for him. Her original recipe has purportedly been handed down from generation to generation without change and is currently marketed as Disaronno® Originale Liqueur.

Whatever the source, this wonderful liqueur of love goes well with chocolate. What doesn't go well with chocolate? Here's an easy recipe for Amaretto Truffles. Make some today.

AMARETTO TRUFFLES

Ingredients
4 Tbsp sweet butter
14 cups whipping cream
5 Tbsp Amaretto
12 ounces dark chocolate (70-75% cacao, organic, fair-trade)
ground or crushed almonds (or hazelnuts)

Directions
Heat butter and cream in top of double boiler. (185-210 degrees-if you have a thermometer). Don't boil.
Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons Amaretto and all the dark chocolate.
Return to heat and stir until chocolate is melted (not very long).
Stir in rest of Amaretto.
Pour into mixing bowl and refrigerate 2 hours until firm.
Roll with hands into 1-inch balls.
Freeze until very firm (about 30 minutes).
Roll in ground almonds or hazelnuts
Store in refrigerator -or eat right away!

Here's a Vintage 1977 Ad for Amaretto.