Almond Cheesecake

The “Cooking School” Collection 2012

Former Principal Sheila Seelhammer

Sacred Heart Area School

Staples, Minnesota

Cheesecake has gained the reputation of being the “ultimate dessert”! A lot of people endorse that point of view. Oh sure – there are crème brûlée, pot de crème, truffle and baklava devotees — and those, of course, enamored with countless other desserts. (And, honestly, I don’t have an argument with any of them — desserts are good — why banter about this wonderful “food group”?) 

But, let’s say you have to stand up and be counted. What then? OK. I’ll do it — yes, for me, cheesecake is the ultimate dessert.

Sheila Seelhammer is a fellow home economics teacher (a subject now called Family and Consumer Sciences) who later became a principal. She’s sharing an over-the-top recipe as far as I’m concerned — Almond Cheesecake. CJK

Almond Cheesecake

(Sheila Seelhammer)

Crust:

1 1/4 cup crushed vanilla wafers

3/4 cup finely chopped almonds

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

Filling:

4 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese

1 1/4 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla

Top layer:

2 cups sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

1/8 cup toasted almonds

Mix the ingredients for the crust and press into the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the ingredients for the filling, adding the eggs one at a time, and pour it over the crust.

Bake cheesecake at 350°F for 55 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it stand for five minutes.

Combine the ingredients for the top layer and spread over the baked cake. Return to the oven for five minutes.

Cool the cheesecake overnight. Sprinkle with toasted almonds just before serving.

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

A note from Sheila: This recipe is one of my all-time favorites! I’ve made it for years and it’s always a hit! For a party this past Christmas season I made it in individual servings starting with mini cupcake liners, placing a vanilla wafer in each. I added a dollop of the cheesecake filling and baked them for about 15 minutes or until the top was set. Then, I crowned them with a spoonful of the top layer mixture and baked for another three to five minutes. Instead of the almonds, I garnished each with a raspberry. They were beautiful and truly delicious!

A note from Carol: Sheila was the principal at Sacred Heart Area School , a pre-kindergarten through 6th grade elementary school, in Staples, Minnesota, for five years before she retired in 2007. (The current principal is Jim Opelia, who has been at the school since 1998 — 10 years as a fourth-grade teacher and four as principal.)

Sheila’s husband, Jim, is a building contractor and owner of Slammer Construction in Deer Creek. Sheila and Jim have four grown sons — all married — and five grandchildren (with another blessing on the way). The Seelhammers are members of St. Edward Parish in Henning.