Pecan Crust Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease an 8-inch cake pan with the 1 tablespoon butter. On a cookie sheet, toast the pecans for 8 minutes. Turn the pan once for even toasting. In a bowl, combine the Graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and pecans. Pat evenly over the bottom of the pan.
• For the cake: In a small saucepan, simmer the port and dried blueberries for 3 minutes. set aside to cool. Put the cream cheese, butter, sugar and cornstarch in a mixing bowl and beat on medium, just to blend. Add eggs, 1 at a time, then sour cream, vanilla and blueberry mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set into hot water bath and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, and slightly puffed and firm. Cool on rack. Refrigerate, then remove from pan.
• For the sauce: In saucepan, simmer 3/4 cup port and sugar for 3 minutes. Meanwhile whisk together cornstarch, vanilla and remaining 1/4 cup of port. Add slurry to pan and simmer for 2 more minutes. Add half of blueberries and cook until berries burst and sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in remaining berries.

Steps:

• To make crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Process graham crackers in a food processor until they become fine crumbs or put them in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Measure out 1-1/2 cups.
• Chop pecan halves. Mix cracker crumbs with pecans and sugar. Add melted butter and mix well.
• Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan. Press mixture in an even layer on bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of pan. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Leave oven set at 350 degrees.
• To make filling, beat cream cheese with sour cream at low speed until very smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in lemon zest. If using vanilla bean, scrape its seeds with point of a knife into cheese mixture, or stir in vanilla extract.
• Carefully pour filling into cooled crust and bake for about 45 minutes or until firm in center. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees.
• To make topping, mix together sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Carefully spread topping on cake in an even layer without letting it drip over crust.
• Return cake to oven and bake for 8 minutes or until topping sets. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
• Remove sides of springform pan just before serving.

Steps:

• For the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter the inside of the springform pan.
• Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter, sugar and salt, and pulse until the mixture comes together and holds its shape when squeezed. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and press it into the bottom to make an even layer. Bake until the crust is just firm, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Place the pan on a large piece of foil, and fold the foil up the sides of the pan. (This helps seal the pan, to keep water out while baking.)
• For the filling: Wipe out the food processor. Pulse the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until completely smooth, without any lumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Add the eggs and vanilla, and pulse until incorporated. Pour the filling into the crust, and set the pan inside a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to go halfway up the sides of the springform pan (but not above the foil).
• Bake the cheesecake until the edge is set but the center jiggles slightly (when you gently shake the pan, the cheesecake should move in a cohesive wave motion), 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off, and open the door for a few seconds to let out some heat. Close the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven until cooked completely through, 1 hour more.
• Transfer the springform pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature. Wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
• For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet, and bake until they turn a few shades darker and are nicely toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then halve each pecan lengthwise.
• Meanwhile, heat the cream, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Reduce the heat to low to keep the cream mixture warm.
• Cook the sugar in an even layer in a medium skillet over medium heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Gently swirl the pan as needed as the sugar continues to melt and begins to caramelize and turn lightly golden in spots. Keep cooking and swirling until the caramel is a uniform deep amber. Remove from the heat, and slowly whisk in the warm cream mixture (watch out for ferocious bubbles). Return the caramel sauce to medium heat, and cook to reduce slightly, about 2 minutes. Let cool. To see if the sauce is ready for topping the cheesecake, dip a spoon into it and let the sauce drop off; it's ready if it easily and slowly drips off the spoon. (The sauce can be refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat in the microwave.)
• To assemble: Spoon the sauce into the center of the cheesecake, and let it ooze to the edge. If needed, swirl the sauce with the back of a spoon to help it along. Sprinkle the pecans in a generous layer over the sauce. The cheesecake can now be served or refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
• To slice the cake, dip a sharp, heavy knife into warm water, wipe the knife dry and slice into the cake. Wipe the knife clean and repeat.

Steps:

• Stir together ground nuts, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix in melted butter.
• Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch, deep-dish style, pie pan. Chill the unbaked crust in the refrigerator for about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Place pie crust on a cookie sheet, and position on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. WATCH it carefully, as nut crusts burn easily; they DON'T have to turn black to taste burnt! Cool completely before filling.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine caramels and evaporated milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until smooth; stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Pour into crust. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes; beat into cream cheese mixture until blended. Spread over caramel mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Before serving, drizzle with hot fudge topping and sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Steps:

• Place pecans in food processor; grind until fine.
• Add melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla and water.
• Continue processing till mixture begins falling off sides of bowl.
• Press into 9-inch pie pan.
• Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or microwave at full power for 6 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325ºF.
• Melt 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp.) butter in medium nonstick skillet on medium heat. Continue to cook 2 min. or until light golden brown in color with a nutty aroma, stirring constantly. Mix with cookie crumbs; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake 10 min. or until lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in same skillet. Add 3 Tbsp. sugar and salt; mix well. Cook and stir 1 to 2 min. or until sugar is dissolved. Stir in nuts; cook 5 min. or until nuts are lightly browned and evenly glazed, stirring constantly. Spread onto large sheet of parchment; cool.
• Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour half the batter over crust.
• Reserve 3/4 cup nuts for later use. Chop remaining nuts; sprinkle over batter. Cover with remaining batter.
• Bake 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
• Microwave caramels and half-and-half in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 2 min. or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute. Arrange reserved nuts on top of cheesecake; drizzle with caramel sauce.

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and melted butter or margarine. Press firmly into the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan.
• In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese and 1 1/4 cup white sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well. Add vanilla extract. Add 1/2 cup liqueur, and blend for 5 minutes. Pour the filling on top of the crust
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for approximately 1 hour. The cake should be golden brown, and will have risen to the top of the pan. Turn off the heat, and let cool in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. When cool, remove the rim of the springform pan.
• In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, confectioners' sugar, and 1 teaspoon liqueur together. Spoon onto the top of the cooled cheesecake.
• In a small bowl, combine the finely ground pecans, finely ground graham cracker crumbs, 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the pecan topping on the cheesecake. Carefully press the pecan topping into the sides of the cheesecake. Garnish the top and sides with pecan halves.

Steps:

• Make crust:
• In a food processor grind graham crackers and pecans fine and in a bowl stir together with butter. Press mixture into bottom of a 9- by 2 1/2-inch springform pan. Chill crust 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Make filling:
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar gradually, beating until combined well. Beat in flour and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream, vanilla, and salt, beating until combined well.
• Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 1 hour, or until edges are just set but middle trembles slightly. (Cheesecake will continue to set as it cools.) Turn off oven and cool cheesecake in oven with oven door propped open about 6 inches until cooled completely, about 2 hours.
• Make topping:
• In a dry heavy saucepan cook 1/2 cup sugar over moderately low heat until melted. Cook sugar, swirling pan, until a deep caramel. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until caramel dissolves. Simmer mixture, without stirring, until it registers 225°F. on a candy thermometer and remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla and cool to room temperature.
• Pour topping over cheesecake, spreading evenly. Arrange pecans decoratively on top and chill cheesecake, covered, overnight. Remove side of pan.