Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Amaretto Soaked Raisins

If you like baked cheesecakes, you'll love this Italian Ricotta Cheesecake. Ricotta cheese blends with mascarpone, Amaretto soaked raisins and candied citrus peel to create a beautifully flavoured cheesecake. It's all piled onto an amaretti cookie crust to add an extra flavour dimension and bump up the luxury factor.

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY THERMAPEN. ALL OPINIONS AND TEXT ARE MY OWN.

I have a real weakness for baked cheesecake. Sadly, my husband does not typically share the same love of cheesecake. He is, however, willing to make an exception when Italian ricotta cheesecake (aka Torta di Ricotta) is on offer.

It must be something to do with the type of cheese involved. The ricotta seems to make the resulting bake fairly light in texture in comparison to a cream-cheese based cheesecake.

I recently made this thoroughly Italian Ricotta Cheesecake to keep us both (and my kids) happy. I call it thoroughly Italian because this cheesecake doesn't just rely on Ricotta cheese to qualify for its Italian name tag. I've thrown a couple of other Italian treats into the bargain.

First of all, I've included an amaretti crust. Amaretti cookies have an intense & sweet almond flavour, and when combined with butter, they make a decadent base for this Italian Ricotta Cheesecake. Just be sure to select crisp and crunchy Amaretti rather than the soft and chewy ones.

I've also soaked a scattering of raisins in the classic Italian almond liqueur, Amaretto. This adds an extra layer of flavour, tallies perfectly with the Amaretti crust and ramps up the luxurious edge this cheesecake has to offer.

When I first started baking cheesecakes, one of the hardest parts was working out when I should take it out of the oven:

• pull it out too early and there's is a risk that the cheesecake will be underbaked and will not set firmly
• but leave it in the oven too long and there's the prospect of overbaking the cheesecake, leading it to crack and become dry & crumbly rather than remaining smooth and creamy

I've just about mastered finding the ideal wobble to pull my cheesecakes out now. But if I'm ever unsure, I tend to check the internal temperature with my Thermapen digital food thermometer. Cheesecake should be cooked to 65C/ 150F for it to set once cooled. Granted, sticking a probe in will leave a mark on top of the cheesecake, but since this ricotta cheesecake is decorated with flaked almonds, any imperfections will be completely hidden.

Christmas is not far away now. I don't have a full gift guide to put up this year, but I can heartily recommend a Thermapen. It's the perfect gift for an enthusiastic cook. It is fast and accurate - reading temperatures in just 3 seconds. It really does help to take the guesswork out of cooking.

The latest model, the Thermapen Professional, has an auto-rotating display. This means it can be used in any position and in either hand so it's great for left and right-handed people. It also has a motion-sensing sleep mode which automatically turns the Thermapen on/off when set down/ picked up, helping to conserve battery life.

Once baked this Italian cheesecake has a decidedly rustic look. However, when adorned with flaked almonds and a dusting of icing sugar it transforms into a centrepiece worthy dessert. Each slice reveals the treats hidden inside of the creamy bake.

I recommend serving this Italian ricotta cheesecake with a small glass of Amaretto alongside. It makes a delightful alternative to traditional desserts at Christmas - just don't expect leftovers.

Have you tried my other cheesecake recipes? I have a blackberry cheesecake with feta (so delicious) and a gently spiced orange & rum cheesecake to entice you. Both are baked cheesecakes.