Praline-crusted Cheesecake

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 cups crushed shortbread cookies (about 28 cookies)
• 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 4 pralines, coarsely crumbled
• 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
• 2 (8 ounce) containers sour cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• butter
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 cheesecake: combine cookie crumbs and butter.
• 2 press into bottom and up sides of a greased 10-inch springform pan.
• 3 bake at 350 degrees for approx 8 minutes.
• 4 cool on a wire rack.
• 5 sprinkle coarsely crumbled pralines over crust.
• 6 beat cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy duty electric mixer until creamy.
• 7 gradually add 1 3/4 cups sugar, flour, and vanilla, beating until smooth.
• 8 add eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
• 9 stir in whipping cream and lemon rind.
• 10 pour in crust.
• 11 place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
• 12 bake at 350 degrees on lower oven rack 10 minutes.
• 13 reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until almost set.
• 14 cool on wire rack 1 hour.
• 15 stir together sour cream and 1/3 cup sugar; spread over cheesecake.
• 16 bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
• 17 cool on wire rack.
• 18 cover and chill 8 hours.
• 19 remove sides of pan.
• 20 garnish, if desired with pralines.
• 21 pralines: butter bottom of a heavy 3-quart saucepan.
• 22 cook brown sugar and next 3 ingredients in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugars dissolve; stir in pecans.
• 23 bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 238 degrees (soft ball stage).
• 24 remove from heat.
• 25 stir in vanilla; let stand 3 minutes.
• 26 beat with a wooden spoon 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.
• 27 working rapidly, drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax paper.
• 28 let stand until firm.