Butterscotch Almond Cheesecake

Ingredients

130 gr unbleached flour
750 gr sugar
120 gr almonds
1 gr salt
20 gr butter
1 egg yolk
1 gr almond extract
230 ml cream cheese
1 1/4 scotch whisky
4 gr vanilla extract
4 eggs
475 ml sour cream
160 ml whipping cream
34 gr butter

Instructions

Coarsely chopped Sweetened whipped cream Crust: Preheat oven to 180ÂșC . Line the bottom of a 23 cm springform, pan with 8 cm high sides, with foil. Butter and flour foil. Blend first 4 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter, yolk and extract and blend until mixture begins to gather together. Press onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack, cool 10 minutes. Release cake pan sides from crust. Gently turn out crust onto rack, peel off foil and cool. Place crust back into pan and reattach pan sides. Maintain oven temperature. Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1.25 cups sugar, Scotch and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Pour into crust-lined pan. Bake cheesecake until set at edges, but centre 8 cm area still moves slightly when pan is shaken, about 50 minutes. Place on rack and cool 10 minutes. Mix sour cream with remaining quarter cup sugar. Spoon sour cream mixture over cheesecake. Bake 10 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around top edge of pan to loosen cake. Chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead) Topping: Stir sugar and two third cup Scotch in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns golden, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water and swirling pan. Add two third cup cream and butter (mixture will bubble) and stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon Scotch. Let stand until cool, but still pourable, about 2 hours. Mix in half cup almonds Spoon all but half cup butterscotch topping over cheesecake (remove remainder for another use) Sprinkle with remaining quarter cup chopped almonds. Refrigerate up to 1 hour. Run sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Spoon cream into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe cream over top edge of cake. Bon Appetit Magazine May 1993