A sweet creamy caramel flavored cheesecake and a buttery pecan crust, with caramel drizzle and pecan halves on top Yield:
12 large servings Ingredients:
Crust ingredients:
12 ounces pecans
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
32 ounces cream cheese, softened*
4 eggs
Topping:
3 ounces caramels (the chewy kind that come in wrapped squares)
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
36 pecan halves
Instructions:
1. Process pecans in food processor until they are very fine crumbs. (The 12 ounces should be about 3 1/2 cups of loosely-measured pecan crumbs.)
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered pecans, 6 tablespoons sugar, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Stir to mix well. Press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 14-16 minutes (check to avoid burning). Set crust aside to cool.
3. Place dark brown sugar in a medium mixing bowl, and use a fork to remove any lumps. Add the cup of whipping cream, and stir together, mixing well. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons sugar, the cornstarch, and the cinnamon. Add the softened cream cheese and use an electric mixer on LOW to mix until no lumps remain. Add the brown sugar mixture and continue mixing on LOW until a smooth batter is achieved (should take only a minute or two).
5. Add eggs and stir gently by hand to incorporate them into the batter. Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust.
6. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Fill a 9×13-inch dish with boiling water and place on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake cheesecake in the middle of the oven (on the rack above the pan of water) for 70 minutes or until top is lightly browned and middle is only slightly wiggly.
7. Turn off oven and crack the oven door. After about 10 minutes, use a knife to separate cheesecake from the sides of the pan, but leave the cheesecake in the pan and in the open oven. Allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for a couple of hours. Chill cooled cheesecake in fridge. Cut cheesecake using dental floss.
8. To prepare topping, melt caramels and stir in a tablespoon of whipping cream. Drizzle hot caramel over cheesecake. (We used a heavy plastic decorater’s bag for this, with a metal tip at the end. Be careful, because the melted caramel is HOT!)
9. Use a dab of the extra melted caramel to “glue” 3 pecan halves onto each piece, around the outside edge. Serve and enjoy!
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.