Turtle Cheesecake

I love cheesecake. My friends and family all love cheesecake. Therefore, I find myself making it quite often. I've become familiar enough with the basic recipe to add all sorts of different flavors without too much fear of it turning out badly. Because of this, I thought it would be a good subject for my first post here.

For the crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 package of caramels (14 oz)
• 1 can evaporated milk (5 oz)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optionally toasted)
  

For the cheesecake:

• 4 8-oz packages cream cheese (room temperature)
  
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 3 tbsp flour (all-purpose)
• 5 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 1 cup chopped pecans (optionally toasted)
• 1/3 cup dulce de leche (or a generous application from a squeeze bottle)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate

When I made this, I had a few things going on at the same time. There's a bit of waiting between the steps, so I tried to make the most efficient use of time. Feel free to separate everything out the first time you make this to make it easier.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Cover the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with foil. Set out the cream cheese and eggs to warm. In a small pot, melt the caramels in most (approx. 4 oz) of the evaporated milk over low heat. You can use the whole can, but it'll take a bit longer to thicken up.

While this is going on, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter for the crust in a bowl. Mix well and press into the springform pan, going up the sides about 3/4 to 1 inch. Cover and refrigerate for now.

The caramels should be starting to melt. Remember to stir it occasionally. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and flour. I usually put the cream cheese in the bowl first and microwave it for 30 seconds to a minute to soften it up more. At this point, the caramel should be done. Take the crust out of the fridge and pour the caramel into it. Sprinkle 1 cup of the pecans on top. Re-cover the crust and put it back in the fridge.

Back to the batter, add the eggs one at a time and beat until mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each one. When you add the last egg, the batter should be at about this consistency:


Add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract and beat until just combined. Pour the batter into the pan and place in your oven. I have personally never used a water bath for this recipe, and it's always turned out fine. Feel free to use one if you'd like. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 250F and bake for another 1 hour, 45 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack. While it's cooling, melt the chocolate for the topping.

When it's cooled down, sprinkle the remaining cup of pecans on top...


Then the dulce de leche...


And finally drizzle the melted chocolate on top. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened up before cutting. For best results, cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.


Cutting a cheesecake is nearly as much of an art as making one. If presentation isn't much of a concern, that's fine. But when looks count, there are a couple things you might keep in mind. First, run some hot water from the sink. Hold your knife under it until it's noticeably warmed. Dry it off quickly. Make one cut, starting from the center. Never lift the knife back up! Slide it out the side. Wipe the knife off completely with a paper towel. Repeat this process until the whole thing is sliced. It's pretty time consuming, but you'll have a professional-looking result! The cheesecake below is fully cut into 12 slices! (I was pretty proud of it).


Recipes adapted from Joy of Baking and My Baking Addiction.