Pecan Pie Cheesecake

By Anne545

The crust to this pecan pie cheesecake is vanilla wafers, followed by a layer of pecan pie filling with a creamy cheesecake and, if that isn’t enough, a can of dulce de leche topped with candied pecans.

Ingredients

• For the Crust:
• 1-3/4 cups vanilla wafers, ground into crumbs
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup butter
• For the Pecan Filling:
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1-1/2 cups pecans, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the Cheesecake Filling:
• 3 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the Garnish:
• 1 can of Dulce De Leche
• 3/4 cup pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Details

Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 160mins
Adapted from ladybehindthecurtain.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs & brown sugar. Add melted butter, stirring to combine. Press evenly into bottom & up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 6 minutes. Let Cool.

For the Pecan Filling:
In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, eggs, pecans & vanilla for the filling to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring well. Reduce heat & simmer, stirring constantly until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Pour into prepared crust. Set aside.

For the Cheesecake Filing:
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add brown sugar & flour beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Stir in cream & vanilla. Pour cheesecake mixture over pecan filling. Bake 1 hour. Turn oven off & leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 1 hour. Run a knife around edges of cheesecake to release sides. Let cool completely.

For the Garnish:
Empty can of Dulce De Leche into microwave safe bowl & heat on high for 30 seconds or until caramel is easy to spread. Spread on top of cheesecake to sides but not over. Spread pecans on a sheet pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans in oven & toast. In a small saucepan, add toasted pecans, sugar & water. Over medium high heat, bring sugar mixture to a boil, reduce heat & cook until syrup thickens, pecans are fully coated & most of the moisture is absorbed. Pour pecans onto a piece of parchment paper to cool. When cooled, decorate top of cheesecake. Store in refrigerator.