Chocolate-Amareto Cheesecake

This chocolate cheesecake sneaks in a lighter profile without sacrificing richness. Reduced-fat cream cheese and low-fat cottage cheese blended in a food processor create a filling that’s surprisingly smooth and dense, while cocoa powder and amaretto liqueur deliver deep chocolate flavor with an almond-scented warmth.

Processing the cottage cheese with the cream cheese until completely smooth is the key to this working. Any visible curds will bake into grainy spots in the finished cheesecake. The food processor handles this better than a mixer, breaking down the cottage cheese into a silky puree that blends seamlessly with the cream cheese.

Mini chocolate chips folded in at the end add little bursts of melted chocolate throughout every slice. They’re small enough to stay suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom during the long, slow bake.

The chocolate wafer crust is just crushed cookies pressed into the bottom of the pan. No butter needed. The crumbs absorb moisture from the filling as it bakes and set into a firm, chocolatey base.

Chef Tips

• Add the egg last and blend just until mixed. Overbeating the egg whips in air that creates cracks as the cheesecake bakes.
• Bake at 300°F (150°C) for even cooking without browning. Low temperature prevents the surface from cracking and the edges from drying out.
• Chill for a full 8 hours, not less. The cheesecake firms up and the amaretto flavor deepens overnight.
• Run a thin knife around the edge before removing the springform sides. Even a well-baked cheesecake can stick.

Variations

• Kahlua swap: Replace amaretto with Kahlua for a mocha cheesecake with a coffee kick.
• Cherry topped: Spoon cherry pie filling over the chilled cheesecake for a Black Forest-inspired presentation.