Pecan-Pie Cheesecake

 Overview

This is a  perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, it has pecan pie topping and a delicious cheesecake below it. I got this recipe from food network site and tried it for this thanksgiving and it came out real good. The recipe asked for chocolate graham crackers which I did not have so used cocoa powder with regular graham crackers.

Pecan-Pie Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the pie crust

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

9 Chocolate Graham cracker( or regular graham cracker and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder)

2 Tablespoon sugar

Pinch of salt

Filling

Four 8 oz packages cream cheese at room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

6 large eggs at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Topping

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

Steps

1. Pre heat oven to 325 F. Butter the inside of the springform pan( I used normal round cake pan).

3. Roast the pecans for about 10 minutes and keep aside.

2. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are ground. add the butter, sugar salt( and cocoa powder is using plain graham crackers) and pulse until mixture comes together.

3. Pour to the pan and press it into the bottom to make an even layer. Bake until crust is just firm about 10 minutes.

4. Remove crust from oven and let it cool to room temperature

5. Fro the filling in a food processor pulse the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until completely smooth without any lumps. Add the eggs slowly along with vanilla extract and pulse till the mixture is smooth. 

6. Pour the filling into the prepared cooled crust. place the pan in a roasting pan with enough hot water to go halfway up the sides of the pan.

7. Bake the cheesecake until the edges is set but centre slightly joggles about 1 hour and 10 minutes. 

8. Turn off the oven and keep the cheesecake in the oven for about 60 more minutes until it is cooked completely about 1 hour.

9. Transfer cheesecake to a cooling rack.

10. Heat the cream, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a small sauce pan over medium heat. reduce heat to low and keep it warm.

11. In another pan cook the sugar in an even payer until it starts to caramelize. gently swirl the pan until the sugar mixture is completely caramelized. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the warm cream mixture to this

12. Return the caramel sauce to medium heat and cook to reduce slightly about 2 minutes. Let this cool.

13 Pour the cooled sauce on top of the cheesecake and layer the toasted pecan halves on top of it.

Refrigerate for up to 4 hours and serve .