Praline-Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Submitted by Chef mariajane

"It's natural for this cheesecake to have cracks on the top, but they will be covered by the buttery praline mixture. As a cheesecake lover, this is a very delicious and different cheesecake, I love it!!"

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 24
• Serves: 16

ingredients

• FOR THE PRALINE

• cooking spray
• 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3⁄4 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 tps. butter
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt

• FOR THE CRUST

• 1 3⁄4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon water

• FOR THE FILLING

• 2 (15 ounce) cans sweet potatoes in syrup, drained
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package fat free cream cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container nonfat sour cream
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites

directions

1. FOR THE PRALINE: Coat a 1-inch sheet of auminum foil with cooking spray. Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons water, corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring as needed to dissolve sugar evenly, about 5 minutes. Continue cooking 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat; carefully stir in pecans, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt. Immediately pour onto prepared foil, spreading to a thin layer. Cool completely. Break praline into small pieces. Place in a food processor, and process until ground.
2. FOR THE CRUST: Combine cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, melted butter and 1 Tbps. water in a bowl. Toss with a fork. Press crumbs in to bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated iwth cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature ot 325°F.
3. FOR THE FILLING: Place sweet potatoes in food processor; process until smooth. Remove from processor. Combine brown sugar, cheeses, and sour cream in processor; process until smooth. Add puréed potatoes, flour, and the remaining ingredients, and process until smooth. Add one-half of ground praline mixture; plulse 3 times or until blended. Pour filling into crust. Bake 325F fo 55 minutes. Turn off oven. (Do not remove cheesecake from oven). Let cheesecake stand in oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 3 hours or overnight. Sprinkle top with remaining ground praline mixture before serving.