My Halifax elementary school, Sir Charles Tupper, produced a cookbook and this recipe for Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake was in it. We still serve it for holidays every year. I remember my mom entertaining, and eating this for breakfast the next day! I don’t think there’s anything more decadent than cheesecake for breakfast. The richness is delicious and satisfying. It’s amazing when you stop to think about how many memories we have that are tied to food! What food holds special memories for you?

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

This cheesecake holds a special place in my heart particularly, because of all the special childhood memories. The blend of amaretto and almond flavours is perfection. That said, I find generally cheesecake is such a delight to serve for dessert because there are so many different ways you can play with it and present it. With a New York while one, top with a seasonal fruit compote, mix in cookies or candies, the variations are limitless. You can colour it with food colouring and make it any colour you like, or even use many colours to make rainbows or tie-dye. There are so many options!

There’s always something new you can do that will make an impression on your guests. For example, instead of a round cheesecake with slices, you can use a rectangular pan and make cheesecake squares. You can change up the crust and use Oreo cookie crumbs if that’s what your family enjoys or you could even go crustless – think outside the crust! A ganache topping can be used to add different flavours to the dish (and is also a fancy way  to hide cracks, while looking and tasting intentionally elegant!) It’s easy to make ahead and you can play with the size and even make many individual sized cheesecakes.

I find using a stand mixer makes cheesecake easier, but you can use a hand mixer too if you don’t have one. I hope you enjoy this chocolate amaretto cheesecake recipe from my childhood. The biggest trick is to ensure all ingredients are at room temperature so it won’t get lumpy. Let me know what you think!