2 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature
3 large eggs
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Topping
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons plus ½ cup sugar, divided
1 pound frozen blackberries, thawed, drained, juices reserved
1½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside ½ cup (packed) almond paste for filling. Combine remaining almond paste, graham crackers, and almonds in processor and grind finely. Add butter; process until moist crumbs form. Press crumb mixture over bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides. Bake until crust darkens in color, about 10 minutes. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.
FILLING: Wipe out processor. Blend sugar and reserved ½ cup almond paste in processor until mixture resembles fine meal, about 1 minute. Add half of cream cheese and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add remaining cream cheese and process until smooth. Add eggs, cream, and almond extract and blend until just combined, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Pour filling into crust.
Bake cake until just set in center and beginning to crack at edges, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
TOPPING: Mix sour cream and 1 tablespoon sugar in small bowl; spoon over hot cake. Bake 3 minutes. Chill cake uncovered until cold, about 1½ hours.
Mix remaining 2 tablespoons plus ½ cup sugar and reserved berry juices in heavy small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes. Stir mixture over low heat until sugar and gelatin dissolve (do not boil). Pour into medium bowl; mix in berries. Chill berry topping until cold and beginning to set, stirring occasionally, about 1½ hours.
Spoon berry topping over chilled cake. Chill uncovered until berry topping is fully set, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
Using cake flour for the crust is important: It is lower in protein than all purpose flour and results in a more tender crust. The praline gives nutty flavor and crunchy contrast to the rich cheesecake filling. Wrapping a triple layer of foil around the cake pan provides a seal that guards against leaking when the cake is in the water bath. 12 servings
1¼ cups cake flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup (packed) golden brown sugarHazelnut Praline (see recipe)
4 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides. Blend cake flour, butter, and brown sugar in processor until moist clumps form. Press crust mixture onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake until crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Cool. Wrap outside of pan with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil.
Reserve ½ cup Hazelnut Praline for garnish. Grind remaining praline to powder in processor. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in all purpose flour, then cream and vanilla. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Fold in praline powder. Pour filling over crust.
Place cake pan in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake cake until center is just set, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Transfer cake to rack. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Cool completely. Remove foil from pan sides. Chill cake uncovered overnight.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Cut around pan sides again. Remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Mound reserved ½ cup coarsely crushed Hazelnut Praline in center of cake and serve.
This distinctive praline uses hazelnuts instead of the traditional almonds or pecans. Husked hazelnuts are often available at specialty foods stores, but it’s easy enough to toast and husk them yourself—see the guidelines on page 36. Makes about 10 ounces
Vegetable oil
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked
Lightly oil baking sheet. Combine sugar and ¼ cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Add hazelnuts and stir until well coated, about 1 minute. Carefully pour hot praline onto prepared baking sheet. Cool until praline hardens. Break praline into pieces. Transfer to resealable plastic bag. Using rolling pin or mallet, coarsely crush praline.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Wrap airtight and freeze.
Stained-glass-like shards of amber-colored pistachio brittle stand on edge atop the cheesecake, creating a truly gorgeous dessert. The cake should be refrigerated overnight, but wait until you’re ready to serve it before arranging the pieces of brittle on top. 10 to 12 servings
Crust
1 5½-ounce package shortbread cookies
½ cup unsalted natural pistachios
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
Filling and Topping
3 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 large eggs, room temperature
2¼ cups sour cream, divided
½ cup pear nectar
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped
Pistachio Brittle (see recipe)
CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend shortbread, nuts, and sugar in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; process until moist clumps form. Press crust mixture onto bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides. Wrap outside of pan with 3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake crust until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.
FILLING AND TOPPING: Beat cream cheese, sugar, and cardamom in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add 1 cup sour cream, pear nectar, flour, and vanilla; beat until blended. Pour filling over crust.
Bake cheesecake until puffed at edges and softly set in center, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir white chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool chocolate to lukewarm; whisk in remaining 1¼ cups sour cream.
Spread topping over warm cake. Chill cake uncovered overnight. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake; remove pan sides. Place cake on platter. Stand Pistachio Brittle pieces on edge in topping on cheesecake.