Almond Cheesecake

"Wow" your guests with this fabulous cheesecake. Takes a little work, but the results are worth it. I haven't tasted an almond cheesecake like this before!

Graham Nut Crust

• 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened Sugar
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dairy sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Praline topping
• Oven: 350 degrees

Graham Nut Crust
Combine 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine, 1/4 cup ground almonds and three teaspoons of sugar. Press on the bottom and one inch up the sides of an eight or nine inch springform pan.

Cake
Prepare crust and chill. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then beat until smooth. Stir in almonds, almond extract, and salt. Pour into chilled crust and bake 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand on rack twenty minutes. Combine sour cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the vanilla extract. Spread on the cake. Return cake to oven and bake ten minutes longer. Cool on rack, then refrigerate. Run spatula around edge of cake to loosen, then remove sides of pan. Sprinkle with praline topping. Serves eight to ten (better make it ten; this is a rich cake).

Praline Topping
Melt 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When amber in color, stir in 1/3 cup whole blanched or unblanched almonds, coating well. Carefully pour onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and cool. Break praline into pieces, put into a towel, and crush coarsely with a rolling pin.

Sugarless Almond Meringue Cookies

By: Jean Jitomir

Almond Cookies - Sugar Free

I developed the following recipe for mother's day when my mom was on a low-carb diet. Though I am not an advocate of the particular diet she chose, I wanted to appease her sweet tooth, which had been neglected for nearly a month. I found that I needed about double the Splenda sugar equivalent to get an acceptable taste; the texture of these meringues is more delicate that the traditional version, due to the lack of sugar in the recipe.

The following recipe will require making an egg white foam and a hand mixer.

Pre-heat oven to 275 F
Ingredients:
4 egg whites (fresh, room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1½ cups Splenda

Directions:
1. Beat egg whites and extracts at a medium speed until thick and foamy.
2. Add the cream of tartar.
3. Slowly add the Splenda about ¼ cup at a time until stiff peaks form (turn mixer on high about after all Splenda is added).
4. Place large spoonful of the mixture on a large cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and completely dry*
6. Turn the oven off and allow cookies to cool in the oven for one hour.
Nutrition: Variable based on the size of the cookies, but the only nutrition in the recipe is from the egg whites (about 12g protein total) and some starch mixed with the sucralose sweetener in Splenda.

* Meringues cookies do not fair well in humid environments; do not set out on a plate. Will keep for a week or two in an air tight container.