Turtle Cheesecake

Today while making this recipe I couldn't remember when I made before.  It must have come from Heider Pied (my sister for those of you who don't know her nick-name from when she was a baby).

I know one of us made it because there are notes in the recipe about using Demarle Bakeware. That really narrows it down.

Later, I found these 3 photo in one of my folders which she sent me.   This confirms my thought she sent the recipe with the Demarle notes.

Last night I mentioned to my husband I want to make this recipe today because birthdays are coming up.  He took my list and went to the store.  Some of the ingredients he chose were premium...like the cream and butter.  I like that and he knows it.

Assembled ingredients:

Carmel pieces melting in cream

 Yum!  He brought me Amish Country Style Butter.

My helper crushes the Graham Crackers.

 

The recipe...

 

Turtle Cheesecake

( Do not make unless you have plenty of time. Note: Takes two days to

make)  One cheesecake goes a long way. Very rich!  I also loved the mini-cheesecakes that I made in the bouquet tray!

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

6 Tbs. butter melted

1 1/3 cups heavy cream, divided

25 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped

4 pkgs. (8 oz each) cream cheese, at room temp.

1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

2 yolks

2 tsp vanilla extract, divided

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 Tbs. granulated sugar

2-3 turtle candies, cut into chunks

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap bottom and side of 9" springform pan with double layer of foil (If not using Demarle mold). In bowl combine crumbs, pecans and butter; transfer to pan. Using bottom of measuring cup, press mixture onto bottom and 1/2" up side of pan. 

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven; reserve.

2)Meanwhile in pot heat 1/4 cup cream over low heat. Add caramels; cook, stirring until melted. Transfer 2 Tbs. caramel sauce to plastic food storage bag; reserve.

Pour remaining sauce into crust. Cool

3 At high speed beat cream cheese until smooth, 4 minutes. Beat in brown sugar until fluffy, 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium; gradually beat in sour cream, eggs, yolks and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla. 

Increase  speed to medium high; beat until slightly increased in volume. 4 minutes. Pour batter into curst. Place pan in large roasting pan; fill roasting pan with hot water halfway up side of springform pan. Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes or until center jiggles slightly when pan is shaken. Remove from water. Run spatula around edge of cake to loosen (Not needed if using DeMarle mold). Remove foil. Cool on rack 2 hours; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

4) Remove side from pan (If using Demarle, peel the bakeware away)

Heat 1/3 cup cream over low heat. Add chocolate; remove from heat. Stir until smooth. Transfer 2 Tbs. 

chocolate sauce to plastic food storage bags; reserve. Spread remaining chocolate sauce over cheesecake, as shown. Let stand 10 minutes.

5)Beat remaining 3/4 cup cream and vanilla with granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. If desired, transfer to plastic food storage bag with one corner snipped; pipe rosettes or spoon mounds over cake top. Garnish with turtle candies. Heat reserved caramel sauce in microwave on High in 5-second intervals until melted but not hot. 

Snip one corner of each bag of caramel and chocolate sauces; drizzle over cake.

Quick tip:  The secret to evenly baked cheesecake? Allowing at least 1" of space between the pan and the sides of the roasting pan you use for the water bath. And choose a roasting pan no taller than the springform pan.

Notes from Bonda:  3-19-16  Making this today in a 8.5" Demarle Round Cake Shape Mold.  Didn't buy Turtle candies.  Will be okay though because all the ingredients in those will be drizzled over the top anyway.

More photos later.

3-20-16  This was a lot of work.  It was not my favorite recipe.  Putting whipping cream on this does not really work.  Whipping cream should be used as a garnish just as it is served.  It melted too quickly.  Also, I didn't care for the dark brown sugar in the cheese cake.

I liked the crust with pecans in it very much.  Do that again.  I liked it in the Demarle round cake mold shape.

I like how easily the mold peels off.  Do a double tip out.

Finished results...