No-bake Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 32 amaretti di saronno cookies (i can't remember exactly what they are called, but they are chocolate-dipped rolled waffle cookies)
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (1 envelope of knox unflavoured gelatin. if using sheet gelatin, use appropriate quantity to set 2 c)
• 1/2 cup amaretto (almond liqueur)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate or 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Recipe

• 1 if you cannot find the waffle cookies already pre-dipped in chocolate, then melt 2 squares of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate with 2 t of butter. pour the chocolate mixture into a tall thin glass and dip the rolled waffle cookies in the chocolate. place on a waxed paper-lined pan. chill until set.
• 2 beat the cream cheese and brown sugar together until smooth.
• 3 sprinkle the gelatin over the amaretto, in a small saucepan, and let stand for 5 minutes. stir over low heat until the gelatine dissolves.
• 4 blend the warm gelatin into the cheese mixture.
• 5 beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. fold into the gelatin and cheese mixture. reserve 1 cup of this mixture.
• 6 melt the 6 squares of chocolate and let cool. fold the chocolate into the remaining cheese mixture. reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture.
• 7 use small dabs of the chocolate cheese mixture to aid in standing the prepared waffle cookies, dipped ends up, in a ring around the rim of a 8 1/2 inch springform pan.
• 8 spread the remaining chocolate cheese mixture into the prepared pan. spread reserved plain cheese mixture evenly on top. top with dabs of the reserved 1/2 cup of the chocolate cheese mixture. swirl with a knife to create marbled effect.
• 9 chill for at least 4 hours.
• 10 garnish, if desired, with chocolate curls or whole blanched almonds. let your imagination take you away!