L C Chocolate Almond Crust L C F Food

ALMOND BUTTER PIE WITH CHOCOLATE SALTINE TOFFEE CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the oil, granulated sugar, crushed saltines and 1/2 cup water in a large bowl. Press into the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish. Chill for 15 minutes. Bake the crust until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, microwave the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside 2 tablespoons in a small bowl.
• Drizzle the crust with the caramel sauce, then the remaining melted chocolate. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
• Whip the cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Beat the almond butter and cream cheese in a second medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream until just combined.
• Pour the filling into the crust and smooth out the top, taking care not to cover the crust edge. Drizzle the reserved chocolate in a lacy pattern around the edge of the pie and decorate with the sliced almonds. Chill until set, 6 hours and up to overnight.

L-C CHOCOLATE ALMOND CRUST L-C-F

Steps:

• Pour the almond meal, cocoa powder and splenda in a bowl and mix well with a fork.
• Add 4 Tbs of butter and mix well -- if it seems too dry, add another 1-2 Tbs and mix.
• Press it into the bottom of your pan and bake at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes.
• Let it cool completely before adding in the cheesecake batter.

L-C LEMON CHEESECAKE W/PISTACHIO CRUST L-C-F

Steps:

• Set oven to 350ºF.
• CRUST:.
• Mix all ingredients.
• Wrap bottom insert with heavy duty foil and place into pan.
• Place a parchment paper circle in the bottom of the cake pan, and press the pistachio mixture to cover the bottom of the pan evenly.
• FILLING:.
• Blend Splenda and Cream Cheese for 2 minutes on medium speed.
• Add 1 egg at a time till it is just combined, low speed, scraping sides.
• Add vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix 2 minutes at low speed.
• Put in high sided cake pan lined with parchment paper and the pistachio crust.
• Bake in a water bath until set (approx. 1 ½ hours).
• Cool at room temperature for one hour, then refrigerate for 3 hours.
• I baked on the lower rack with a sheet of aluminum foil on TOP rack to prevent browning.
• I decorated top with a slice of lemon that had been snipped from side to middle and then twisted.
• You could top with blueberries or raspberries but we just used dollop of whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, almonds and sugar; stir in butter.
• Press onto the bottom and 1 3/4 inches up the sides of a greased 9 inch springform pan.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• In a small saucepan, soften gelatin in milk; let stand for 5 minutes.
• Cook and stir over medium heat until gelatin is dissolved.
• Cool to room temperature, about 6 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream and almonds extract until smooth.
• Beat in melted chocolate and gelatin mixture.
• Fold in whipped cream.
• Spoon into crust.
• Cover and chill for 6 hours or overnight.
• Just before serving, run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.
• Remove sides of pan.
• Garnish with chocolate kisses, almonds and additional whipped cream.
• Refrigerate leftovers.

CHERRY CHEESECAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ALMOND CRUST

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• In a food processor pulse almonds until ground. Add chocolate wafer cookies and grind fine. Add butter, sugar, almond extract, and salt and pulse until combined well. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side. Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and transfer to a rack to cool. Crust may be made 3 days ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.
• Make topping:
• In a very small bowl sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. In a heavy saucepan bring cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil, stirring. Remove pan from heat and reserve 1/2 cup juice for filling. To mixture remaining in pan add gelatin mixture and almond extract and stir until gelatin is dissolved.
• Make filling:
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Beat in flour and add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in sour cream, vanilla, and reserved cherry juice until combined well.
• Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 50 minutes. (Cake will not be set in center but will set as it cools.) Transfer cake in pan to a rack to cool completely. Chill cake, loosely covered, 1 hour. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Spread topping evenly over cake. Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.