CARAMEL PRETZEL CHEESECAKE (Winner)

By jarren

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 2 cups finely crushed pretzels
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• Filling:
• 4 , 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 tbsp Butter Shots liqueur
• 1 tbsp Kahlua liqueur
• Toppings:
• 2 tbsp golden corn syrup
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cups pretzels
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F.

Crust:

Combine 2 cups of finely crushed pretzels with 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4 cup melted butter. Put mixture into 9" springform pan. Press firmly onto base and 3/4 of the way up the sides. Set crust aside.

Filling:

Cream the cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until smooth. Add one egg at a time until just mixed in. Add the liqueurs.

Pour filling into crust, bake for 60 minutes or until centre is just set; it will have a firm jiggle to it.

Remove from the oven, let cool to room temprature or refrigerate overnight.

Toppings:

In a frying pan, mix the corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and pretzels.

Cook at medium until mixture coats the pretzels; stir while mixture bubbles and remove from heat once the mixture starts to darken.

Spread pretzels on parchment paper to cool. Melt 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips, drizzle over the candied pretzels.

Gently remove the sides of the springform pan.

Pour 1/4 cup caramel sauce on top of cheesecake, spread to about 1" from edge.

Bring to boil, 1/4 cup of whipping cream in a small saucepan, remove from heat, add 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips, stir until chocolate is melted.

Let mixture sit until it starts to thicken, pour over cheesecake, covering caramel sauce. Go right up to the edge of cake.

In a bowl, beat remaining whipping, instant vanilla pudding mix and salt.

Slowly add the final 1/4 cup caramel sauce; keep beating until it holds its shape.

Pipe whipped cream on top of cheesecake with candied pretzels set on top, as desired.