Almond Cheesecake

While many cheesecake recipes use graham crackers for a base, the Luscious Almond Cheesecake calls for vanilla wafer cookies and almonds. That means that the cake's haunting vanilla-almond flavour is built in from the base up. Plus, the crumb is extra tender and rich.

1¼ cups vanilla wafers, crushed (about 40 wafers)
¾ cup almonds, finely chopped
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:
4 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1½ tsp. pure almond extract
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Topping:
2 cups sour cream
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 cup almonds, sliced and toasted

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

In a bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, almonds and sugar; stir in the butter and mix well. Press into the bottom of a greased 10" springform pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in extracts. Pour into crust. Place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from the oven; let stand for 5 minutes (leave oven on).

Combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Spoon around edge of cheesecake; carefully spread over filling. Bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, sprinkle with almonds and remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes 16 servings.

Nutrition Facts:
1 slice: 329 calories, 20g fat (10g saturated fat), 100mg cholesterol, 140mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (26g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.