Almond Truffle Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 1/4 Cups vanilla wafers -- crushed
3/4 Cup Toasted Almonds -- coarsely ground
1 1/2 Cups sugar -- divided
1/4 Cup butter or margarine -- melted
24 Ounces cream cheese -- softened
2 Tablespoons cocoa -- unsweetened
12 Ounces bittersweet chocolate -- melted
4 eggs
3/4 Cup Amaretto di Amore
1/4 Cup whipping cream
20 Toasted Almonds -- Blanched
4 Ounces bittersweet chocolate -- melted/divided

Directions:

Combine vanilla wafers, ground almonds, 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Stir well. Press firmly on bottom of 9" springform pan. Set aside. Beat cream cheese until fluffy in a large mixing bowl. Gradually beat in remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar and cocoa until smooth. Add 12 oz. melted chocolate, beating well. Add eggs, Amaretto, and whipping cream, mixing well. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 3500 for 60-65 minutes or until center is just set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To serve: remove sides of pan and place on serving plate. Drizzle 3 oz. melted chocolate over cheesecake. Dip half of each whole almond in remaining 1 oz. melted chocolate and arrange on cheesecake.

Recipe By : Simply Southern/Southern Living Cooking School, '94. This recipe was submitted on the Internet Mastercook Recipe Mailing List on Tue 27 Feb 96 19:46:50 -0500.