Amaretto & Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Directions

1. 1

   CRUST----------------------------------- 1 c Ghirardelli semi-sweet -chocolate chips 1 T Butter, unsalted 1 1/4 c Vanilla wafer crumbs 1/4 c

2. 2

   finely chopped 3 T Sugar, confectioners' ----------------------------------FILLING---------------------------------- 24 oz Cream cheese

3. 3

   softened 1 c Sugar 4 lg Egg

4. 4

   room temp 1/4 c Amaretto 2 T Cornstarch 1 ts Vanilla extract 1 c Ghirardelli semi-sweet -chocolate chips ----------------------------------T

5. 5

   room temp 1/4 c Sugar 1 ts Amaretto 1/2 c Almonds, toasted sliced Make the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 3

6. 6

   Lightly butter the bottom and side of a 9 x 3" round springform pan

7. 7

   Trim a 9" cardboard cake circle so that it fits snugly within the curved lip of the bottom of the springform pan

8. 8

   Cover the top of the cardboard lined springform bottom with a piece of aluminum foil, leaving a 2" overhang all the way around the edge