-CRUST-
1 1/4 c Graham cracker crumbs 3 tb Sugar
6 tb Unsalted butter — melted
CAKE
1 1/2 lb Cream cheese — at room temp 1 1/2 ts Vanilla extract
1 1/4 c Brown sugar 2 tb Flour
3 lg Eggs — at room temp. 1 c Pecans — chopped
TOPPING
1/2 c Brown sugar 3/4 ts Unsalted butter — melted
1/4 c Heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 375. For the crust, place the cracker crumbs,
butter and sugar in a snall bowl and toss them together with a fork.
Press this mixture over the bottom of a 9″ springform pan. Bake the
crust until it is crisp and golden in color, about 10 minutes. Let
cool. Reduce the heat to 300. Place a roasting pan or baking dish
filled with hot water on the bottom rack of the oven to create
moisture. For the cake filling, cream the cream cheese in a medium
size mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute.
Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the brown sugar and beat
on medium high speed until the cream cheese is fluffy, about 1
minute. Scrape the bowl. Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat the
mixture on medium low speed until smooth, about 45 seconds. Scrape
the bowl. Add the flour and mix on low speed for 5 seconds. Add the
pecans and mix to blend, 15 to 20 seconds. Pour the filling over the
crust. Bake the cake on the center oven rack until the top is set,
about 1 3/4 hours. Remove the cake from the oven, allow it to cool on
a wire rack for 1 1/2 hours, then refrigerate it overnight. Two
hours before serving the cake, prepare the topping: Place the brown
sugar, cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir
until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil and
continue to boil for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The
mixture will look like a thick golden syrup. Remove the pan from the
heat and pour the topping into a small bowl to stop the cooking
process. When it stops bubbling, pour it over the cheesecake. Tip
the springform pan from side to side so that the topping coats the
cake evenly. Keep the cake at room temperature until ready to serve.
Yields
12 servings