Raspberry Almond Cheesecake

Part of my Christmas gift for my hubby every Christmas is a homemade cheesecake. Each year I try to do something different. He loves cheesecake, but I only make it twice a year--for his birthday and Christmas. This year I decided to go on a search for a couple different recipes to see if I could come up with a delicious Raspberry Almond Cheesecake for him and I think I've come up with one.

This is a compilation of recipes. The crust is one for a peanutbutter cheesecake, but with almonds substituted. The Raspberry layer is simply a raspberry pie recipe cut in half. The cheesecake layer is just a simple cheesecake with almond extract instead of vanilla. The topping is the same as a German Chocolate Cheesecake topping would call for pecans, but I've substituted almonds and almond extract instead. I'll post a picture to go along with this recipe later today. :0)

Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray a large springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Crust

1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/2 Cup Almonds chopped very fine

1/3 Cup Melted Butter

3 TBSP Sugar
Place all ingredients in food processor and process until everything is blended and resembles fine crumbs. Press in to the bottom of springform pan and half way up the sides. Set aside.

Raspberry Layer

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Raspberries

1/2 TBSP Lemon Juice
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and spread over the top of the graham cracker crust. Set aside.

Cheesecake Layer

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese softened

1 Cup Sugar

4 Eggs

2 tsp Almond Extract
Remove cream cheese wrappers and put cream cheese on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 1 minute to soften. Combine with all the ingredients, scraping the bowl often. Whip on high for 1-2 minutes. Pour over the top of the raspberries and bake for 1 hour or until the center is set. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Coconut Almond Topping

1/3 Cup Evaporated Milk

2 TBSP Butter

2 TBSP Packed Brown Sugar

2 Egg Yolks

1/2 Cup Chopped Almonds

1/2 Cup Flaked Coconut

1/2 tsp Almond Extract
Before serving, cook milk, butter, brown sugar and egg yolks over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened; remove from heat and stir in nuts, coconut and almond extract. Pour over cooled cheesecake and serve.