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Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
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5 from 4 votes

Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Amaretto Raisins

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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 People

Ingredients

  • 50 g/ ⅓ cup Raisins
  • 2 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur
  • 175 g/ 6oz Amaretti cookies (crunchy, not soft)
  • 90 g/ ⅜ cup Butter
  • 250 g/ 1 cup Ricotta cheese
  • 125 g/ ½ cup Mascarpone cheese
  • 60 g/ 2 oz Caster sugar
  • 2 Eggs (large, free range)
  • 40 g/ ½ cup Candied peel
  • Zest 1 orange + 4 teaspoon orange juice
  • Zest 1 lemon + 4 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

To serve

  • 40 g/ ½ cup Flaked almonds
  • 1 tablespoon Icing (confectionary) sugar

Instructions

  • Warm the Amaretto up to hot but not scalding and pour over the raisins in a small bowl. Set aside to soak for at least 30 minutes
  • Preheat the oven to 170C/ 325/ GM 3 then grease & line the bottom and sides of a 7-inch loose bottomed baking tin with baking parchment. The neater you can line the tin, the neater the shape of the cheesecake will be once baked
  • Crush the amaretto cookies. Either pulse in a food processor or put into a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin until they resemble breadcrumbs
  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan and tip in the crushed Amaretti. Stir until thoroughly combined, then pour out into the baking tin and flatten across the bottom. Press down firmly using the back of a metal spoon and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside
  • When ready to bake, put the ricotta into a medium-sized mixing bowl and beat with a balloon whisk until smooth
  • Next beat in the mascarpone, followed by the sugar, then the eggs. Continue to whisk until the mixture is nice and smooth again
  • Drain the raisins, reserving any leftover Amaretto
  • Add the orange & lemon zest and juice, along with the vanilla extract and the leftover Amaretto, mixing well
  • Scatter the raisins and the mixed peel over the biscuit base, then pour the cheesecake batter carefully over the top
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until the internal temperature of the cheesecake reaches 65C/ 149F. I used my Thermapen digital food thermometer to check this (don't worry if the cheesecake cracks slightly when you insert the thermometer probe since it will be hidden with flaked almonds). If you do not have a food thermometer, bake until the cheesecake is beginning to turn golden around the edges but the centre still has a good wobble and is not set completely firm
  • Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the cheesecake to set
  • Remove from the tin and just before serving, top with flaked almonds and dredge in icing sugar