Marzipan Cheesecake

• 1/2 cup whole blanched almondsalmond
• eight 5- by 2 1/2-inch graham crackers
• 3 tablespoons sugarsugar
• 1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butterbutter
• 1/3 cup packed pure almond paste
• 3/4 cup sugarsugar
• three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanillavanilla
• 5 large eggsegg
• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy creamheavy-cream

1. 01Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.
2. 02In a shallow baking pan toast almonds in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove almonds from oven but leave oven on. Cool almonds completely. In a food processor pulse nuts until finely chopped and transfer to a bowl. Break graham crackers into food processor and finely grind. Stir 1 cup cracker crumbs and sugar into almonds. Melt butter and add to crumb mixture, stirring with a fork until combined well. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of springform pan.
3. 03In a food processor grind together almond paste and sugar until combined well. Add cream cheese and vanilla and blend well. Add eggs 1 at a time, pulsing until just combined after each addition.
4. 04Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 50 minutes. Turn off oven and let cheesecake stand in oven 10 minutes. (Cake will not be set in center but will set as it cools. Don't worry if cheesecake cracks; chocolate topping will cover it.) Cool cheesecake in pan on a rack 1 hour.
5. 05Run a thin knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake but do not remove side of pan. Chill cake, uncovered, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
6. 06Finely chop chocolate. In a small saucepan bring cream just to a simmer and remove pan from heat. Add chocolate and stir until smooth.

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