Ricotta Amaretto Cheese Cake

Fresh strawberries on creamy ricotta cheesecake squares.

5 from 1 vote

Add a bit of flare to your cheesecake squares with Amaretto. Shortbread cookies make the base. The ricotta layer is light and creamy. Fresh strawberries shine in the glaze.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Cooling time30

Total Time1 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: squares

Calories: 92kcal

Author: Carolyn Hetke

Ingredients

Base

1 sleeve short bread cookies about 7 oz or 1 cup of crumbs
2 Tbsps sugar
2 Tbsps cold unsalted butter

Cheese Cake

1 lb ricotta cheese room temperature
⅓ cup sugar
3 Tbsps flour
2 tsps lemon juice
3 eggs room temperature
2 Tbsps amaretto liqueur (Sub 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt & ¼ teaspoon cinnamon if not using liqueur)

Strawberry Glaze

1 cup crushed strawberries + about 8 more for garnish (about 1 lb in total)
¼ cup sugar
4 ½ tsps corn starch
¼ cup amaretto

Instructions

Base

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pulse cookies in food processor until finely ground. Add sugar and butter and whisk until mixed.
Spray an 8" square oven proof pan. Press the shortbread mix firmly and evenly on the bottom with a fork.
Bake about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Cream Cheese

Drain the ricotta cheese in a seive for about 15 minutes.
Whisk all ingredients together in a food processor. Whisk well for a couple of minutes until the cheese is a silky texture. (Check it to make sure the mix is not gritty).
Pour cheese mixture into the shortbread base. Bake another 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Allow to cool before glazing. You can make the cheesecake a day a head if you like.

Strawberry Glaze

Add amaretto to corn starch and stir until dissolved.
Heat crushed strawberries and sugar in a saucepan. Add cornstarch mix and cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Juices should be transparent. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Pour cooled glaze over cooled cheesecake. Garnish with strawberry slices or halves.

Nutrition