This decadently delicious and easy cheesecake
tastes like a lot of effort went into it, but you can keep that
to yourself...unless they ask for the recipe!
Chocolate
Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
- 2 cups HONEY MAID Graham
Cracker Crumbs
6 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1 (14-ounce) package KRAFT Caramels
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup PLANTERS Pecan Pieces
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet
Baking Chocolate, melted, cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350°F
if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 325°F if using
a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Mix crumbs and margarine;
press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake 10 minutes.
- Microwave caramels and
milk in small microwavable bowl on HIGH 4 minutes or until caramels
are completely melted, stirring after 2 minutes. Pour over crust;
sprinkle with pecans.
- Beat cream cheese and
sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until
well blended. Add chocolate and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs,
1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until
blended; pour over pecans. Place springform pan on baking sheet.
- Bake 45 minutes or until
center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of
pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate
4 hours or overnight. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons of
the whipped topping. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.
Makes 16 servings.
Tip: The key to successfully
making this cheesecake is to make sure you let the caramel layer
cool a bit before you add the cheesecake batter. Also, when adding
the batter, place it towards the outer rim of the pan first and
then fill in the middle. This prevents the caramel from squishing
out towards the sides. It will come out perfect every time. (Contributed
by a cook who has made this cheesecake for over 10 years.)
Substitute: 4 ounces of
semi-sweet chocolate chips can be substituted for the chocolate
squares.
Crust Variation: Substitute
crushed vanilla wafers for the graham cracker crumbs.
Recipe and photograph provided
courtesy of KraftFoods.com.
