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Pecan: Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

Source of Recipe

www.ichef.com


List of Ingredients

2 cups pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
26 Kraft caramels
1 1/2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
32 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla

TOPPING:
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sugar



Recipe

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Wrap foil around outside of 9 inch springform pan. Finely grind nuts and sugar in processor. Add melted butter and blend until moist crumbs form. Press crumb mixture onto bottom only of pan. Cook caramels and sweetened condensed milk in top of double boiler over simmering water until caramels are melted and smooth, stirring occasionally - mixture will be sticky. Drizzle caramel over crust. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bow until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just to combine after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Pour filling into crust. Place cheesecake in a large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come 1 inch up sides of cake pan. Bake until top appears dry and cheesecake no longer moves in center when pan is shaken, about an hour. Remove cheesecake from water bath. Cool. Remove foil. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Release sides of pans from cake. Beat whipping cream sugar and vanilla in medium bowl to stiff peaks. Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with star tip, pipe rosettes around edge of cake. OR to make chocolate topping, combine melted choc. and cream cooled a little and spread on top of cake.