Pecan Pie Cheesecake With Caramel-Pecan Sauce

Manami's Note:

The better the quality of the bourbon you use, the better the flavor in both the cheesecake and the sauce. For a simpler dessert, skip the cheesecake and serve the delectable sauce over pound cake or ice cream. I have been making cheesecakes for a long time but this took my breath away and it is scrumptious! ;) CuisineAtHome - Issue 78, December 2009..Cooling times have not been included, about 3 to 24 hours.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 9-inch ...

FOR THE CRUST

• 6 ounces chocolate wafer cookies (about 28 wafers)
• ½ cup toasted pecan halves
• ¼ cup unsalted butter , melted

FOR THE CHEESECAKE

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese or 3 (8 ounce) packages neufchatel cheese , room temperature
• ½ cup unsalted butter , room temperature
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup Bourbon (optional, a little more if you choose)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE SAUCE

• 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup Bourbon (optional, a little more if you choose)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups chopped toasted pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF, coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and wrap entire outside of pan in foil; set aside.
2. MAKE THE CRUST:.
3. Process chocolate wafers and the 1/2 cup pecans for the crust in a food processor until fine.
4. With processor running, drizzle in the melted butter.
5. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan (tamping the crust with a heavy, flat-bottomed object like a glass or measuring cup ensures a firm crust) & bake for 10 minutes.
6. Reduce oven to 325ºF.
7. MAKE THE CHEESECAKE:.
8. Beat cream cheese, 1 stick butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 brown sugar, and table salt in a large bowl until mixture is fluffy, periodically scraping sides of the bowl.
9. Add eggs one at a time, fully beating to incorporate into batter after each addition.
10. Add 1/2 cup cream, 1/4 cup bourbon and vanilla; beat until ingredients are completely incorporated into batter.
11. Pour filling over crust, smoothing the top of filling.
12. Transfer cheesecake to a roasting pan; place in the oven.
13. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan a third of the way up the sides of the foil-wrapped springform pan. (A water bath surrounds the cake with gentle even heat, reducing the possibility that it will crack on top.).
14. Bake cheesecake until it reaches 155º and sides are set but center still jiggles, about 1 hour.
15. Turn off the oven, leave cheesecake inside for an hour with oven door closed. (In other recipes I have read that one should leave the door ajar - here we did the way they said & it was splendid!).
16. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool to room temperature.
17. Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap; chill 3-24 hours before using.
18. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
19. MAKE THE SAUCE:.
20. Combine the 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup bourbon and kosher salt for the sauce in a saucepan.
21. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-low heat. (Don't stir topping, but keep a close eye on it so it doesn't boil over.).
22. Simmer topping 10 minutes.
23. Stir the 1 1/2 cups pecans into the caramel topping.
24. Let topping stand until slightly thickened and cooed to room temperature, 15-20 minutes.
25. To serve, spoon sauce over cheesecake. (Serve remaining sauce on in dividual slices.).