The Cheesecake....and The Recipe

Decadent Turtle Cheesecake

This recipe is taken from one of my most favorite Recipe books "Favorite Brand Name Best-Loved Chocolate Recipes."  Here is what you have been waiting for:

2 cups crushed chocolate cookies or vanilla wafers (about 8 ounces cookies)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

2 1/2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

2 tablespoons whipping cream

       Caramel & Chocolate

          Toppings (recipes follow)

3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Prehat oven to 450 degrees. For crust, combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

For filling, beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy. (You may want to look at the tip here at See Jane in the kitchen. This is an awesome tip.) Beat in sugar, flour, salt and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in cream. Pour over crust. (Don't forget the whipping cream. I did, oops, but it still turned out fine.)

Bake 10 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees.

Continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool completely before remving rim of pan. Meanwhile, prepare Caramel and Chocolate Toppings.

Drizzle cake with toppings. Refrigerate. Sprinkle with pecans before serving.

CARAMEL TOPPING: Combine 1/2 (14-ounce) bag caramels and 1/4 cup whipping cream in small saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth.

CHOCOLATE TOPPING: Combine 4 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate or 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, 1 teaspooon butter and 2 tablespoons whipping cream in small saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth.

(I just drizzle the toppings with the spoon I stir it with.  I have tried different ways but have found one I really like.)