Let that sink in…..Maple Pecan Cheesecake!
With a side order of chocolate and salted caramel- ya know…for good measure!
I’ve made a gazillion cheesecakes in my life and this batter is by far my favorite. It’s dense and creamy and easy to play with for different flavor creations. No drooping on the plate from this one…This stands up and demands attention.
Eat your heart out Cheesecake Factory
So this maple pecan thingy I made, it’s perfect for the holiday season with notes of maple and ginger. However, if gingersnaps aren’t really your thing, I would recommend pecan sandies as a substitute or possibly plain ole’ graham cracker crumbs. I really LOVE the punch that the gingersnap provides though. It’s a perfect contrast for the other flavors at play here.
Once you’ve made this, feel free to play around with certain ingredients. Exchange the cookies, substitute different extracts, add in peppermint candies or chocolate chips….the sky is the limit.
Too much excitement for one post??? It’s ok to sit down and rest for a moment…then keep reading, and of course MAKE THE CHEESECAKE!
Ingredients:
Crust-
8 oz. ground gingersnap cookies (about 2 cups)
2 oz. chopped candied pecans (about 1/3 cup)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Filling-
2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 tablespoon maple extract
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
Topping-
4 king size peanut butter twix bars
Salted Caramel Sauce- Recipe Link
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Use a food processor, or sealed bag and rolling pin, to crush the gingersnap cookies. Finely chop the pecans.
Measure the gingersnap and pecans and place in a large bowl.
Add in the brown sugar, the drizzle with the melted butter. Use a fork to mix all the ingredients together until the butter is thoroughly incorporated.
Dump the crust mixture in a 10″ springform pan. This is a lot of cheesecake and needs a large pan! Use a cup or spoon to press the crust firmly to the bottom of the pan and halfway up the sides of pan. Check to make sure there are no holes in the bottom of the crust.
Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Let the crust set for a few minutes then place in the refrigerator to finish cooling.
Turn the oven temperature up to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (This will be for the water bath that the cake will bake in)
Add the SOFT cream cheese and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand beater or stand mixer, blend the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Takes about 5 minutes.
Add in the eggs….1 egg at a time and blending well with each addition.
Add the 1 tablespoon of maple extract (seems like a lot but trust me), sour cream and heavy cream. Blend well.
Take the crust out of the fridge and lay down a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil that’s large enough to bring up and around the sides of the pan.
Set the crust on the foil and gather it around the pan. We’re going to be baking the cheesecake in a water bath and we CERTAINLY don’t want any water seeping in.
Place the foil wrapped pan in a large casserole or roasting pan.
Pour the filling into the crust. Depending on the depth of your pan, you might have a little bit of filling left. Stop just short of the rim.
Carefully transfer the cheesecake to the oven and place on the middle rack.
Pour the boiling water into the outer pan until the water is about halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. It works best if you’re pouring from something with a spout so none of the water splashes in your cheesecake.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn the oven off but leave your cheesecake IN the oven for an additional hour!
Remove the cake from the oven. Gently remove the cheesecake and peel away the foil. Let the cheesecake cool inside the springform pan for an hour or two. When the top is cool to the touch, place a layer of plastic wrap over top then wrap the whole shebang in foil….DO NOT REMOVE THE SIDES of the pan YET!
The cheesecake needs to chill overnight in the refrigerator. I let mine chill for 24 hours…it’s SO worth it!
Prepare the salted caramel (recipe link provided in ingredient list) and place in the refrigerator.
The next day, remove the cheesecake and caramel from the fridge. Stir the caramel and chop up the candy bars.
Unwrap your cheesecake and slowly remove the sides from your pan. Take a step back and marvel at the sight!!
Paint a thin layer of caramel on top…just shy of the edge. Just take a spatula or basting brush and spread a thin layer on there. This helps the candy bars stick and well….it just HAS to be done!
Pile the candy bars on top of the caramel
Drizzle with MORE caramel (you wont need ALL the caramel but it sure is good on ice cream)
Take a deep breath…the LOOK AT THIS THING!!!
Use a warm knife to cut slices. I kind of lose words at this point….There’s really no way to describe it!
Signing Off,
Modern Mrs. Cleaver
I would use a scale to accurately measure the ingredients for baking so the recipe comes out perfect! I have a lot of European recipes that don’t use the same measurement system as ours and would love to start using them!
Oooh I don’t have a kitchen scale! This limits my ability to cook any complicated recipes that require exact weights. I often have to guestimate!
This sounds amazing and think it will be a Thanksgiving dessert this year!!
A new one would be great!
I have a scale I use, mostly for baking. It’s getting alittle old though, and love the thought of a regular battery…it’s the little things in life
Thank you!!
I have never used or owned a kitchen scale, but I know I would have a great time using it with my 3 girls trying new recipes.
My frugal nature has me buying a lot of things in bulk. A good kitchen scale would allow me to accurately weigh the perfect amount of every ingredient. Looking forward to making a go of this cheesecake. YUM!
I would use the scale to measure hamburger (1#) before freezing (we process our own deer), for weighing dried beans because I buy large sizes, etc. Sounds great!
My poor old kitchen scale is worn and tired. I don’t believe it is as accurate as it once was. I hate to see it go, it’s been such a useful tool, but it won’t weigh less than 2 ounces anymore and won’t tell me how to covert to grams. My sauces and baked goods are not always what they should be. If I received a new scale, I wouldn’t feel so guilty about replacing the old one. And I can use it for a plant stand!
I am in desperate need of a kitchen scale!! I do not have one and steer away from recipes that use ingredients by weight. Thinking that cheesecake will be hitting my dinner table very, very soon!!
I would love to win! I love love love the way that cheesecake looks…but I am so intimidated to make one! I think I might try though because this looks too delicious!
Oh coly cow!! I could make this cheesecake IF I had a scale!!!!
Ahhhhh…can taste it now.
I use my scale to measure meat portions so we don’t overeat
Ooh! I’m soo going to try this cheesecake!! I LOVE to bake and almost always give baked goods as gifts. I would truly enjoy having a scale because I have a large family ( 5 kids plus my husband and myself) & would be able to more accurately divide the meats and beans and other things I buy in bulk. I section it up to prepare for meals and the freeze ‘em.
I haven’t used a scale before but am upping my game in the kitchen and would love to have one! Thanks for the chance!! (and the great recipes. Keep ‘em coming!!!!)
My poor old kitchen scale is an antique. My Mother used it to weigh homemade candy for the Church bazaar so everyone got a full pound. She’d make divinity, seafoam and chocolate and peanut butter fudge. If she thought the package looked a bit skimpy, even after weighing, she’d put in an extra piece or two..just to make the people happy and come back to pirchase more.
My hubby is the baker & he has a scale that is at least 25 years old & looks like it has been thru a war…. LOL
I have always wanted a kitchen scale but have put off getting one because of more pressing needs. I would love to be able to accurately measure ingredients by weight instead of having to estimate. This scale looks awesome!
I have a kitchen scale that I use to divide bulk products into smaller packages. It actually came into our house as bird(parrot)scale to weigh our birds, to follow their health as they grew up..it has now become a kitchen scale but I still have the perch that fits on it..just in case the bird gets ill. The cheesecake looks positively wonderful!! I used to have a recipe for a carmel cheesecake with small choc chips and brickle pieces. That was a family favorite until it was lost in a move. We love cheesecakes. Thanks and Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
I think I put on ten pounds just looking at the picture. I’m going to have to print this out and put it for trying soon in the future. Caramel and chocolate it has to be a winner.
Cheesecake looks so yummy. Of I had a scale I would use it to weigh my baking ingredients!;)
Love all the pictures with the recipes…can not wait to make these!
Can not wait to try these!
A kitchen scale is great for baking! Makes it faster, easier and less messy. When using measuring cups, it is easy to spill some flour.
This cheesecake looks so yummy. I can’t wait to try it out. I do not have an accurate scale. Woud love a more accurate one to make all you wonderful creations!
I used my old scale to gauge proportions, it really helps to know what a proper serving is when planning! I also use it for more accurate cooking, for acurating mixing of anything, and even to weigh my sick parrot! It amazes me how often I used my old one!
I would use it often to measure lots of ingredients in my baking projects!
I have used the small plastic scales before and find they don’t weigh accurately at all! I would love to have a scale for when I bake,which is often! It is my favorite thing to do to relax and be creative. Baking makes me feel like a professional and everybody loves my food. I have actually started selling some of my creations, I hope to one day open a legitimate bakery some day soon!
I have never owned a scale, but would love to have one to measure baking ingredients! Cheers!
I have one of those dag-nab rotten scales with the funny (not funny haha!) batteries. I would love to show it the door
I would use a scale to weigh ingredients for recipes.
I don’t own a kitchen scale, but would love to have one. It would help with portion control (which my husband and I are trying to stick to) and it would help with baking projects that I need portion control
If I had a nice kitchen scale, I would use it to accurately measure ingredients for all the wonderful recipes I have found on your blog.
I use my scale for Everything! I even weigh milk:) I have been Proclaiming the Usefulness of scales for accurate measuring and trying to explain to folks why volumetric measures just don’t always cut it. I would love to win this little number. And eat that cheesecake. Which you owe me. Because of the flan.
I would love to win this scale. Then maybe, just maybe, my desserts would come out looking like yours.
I use my scale for baking of course but my favorite is to portion out protein(s), like hamburger. I like buying in bulk and food saver-ing it – save a ton of money and I always know how much is in the freezer pkg I am pulling out cause I jot the weight on the bag.
Oh my your right! This post is making me giddy! The recipe sounds wonderful! And my heart is racing over the thought of these scales! I’ve been dreaming of some for months. I have some recipes I want to use with a scale and I think it would help me be a little more careful about what I eat.
It may scare some people, but my kitchen scale is used for various food related endeavors AND weighing some of the babies that come through my exotic rescue/rehab. What?! I wash the bowl that goes with the scale, if I put anyone in it. :p
I’m so giddy at the thought of winning a scale! Been wanting one for months! Have some recipes I’ve been wanting to try and I think it would help me watch what I eat. Thanks!
I create my own seasoning mixes and I also use weights instead of measures – recipes are exact and perfect each time.
The cheesecake looks amazing! I would use the scale measure my ingredients and food!
The cheese cake looks so goog Thanks for the receipt
I wish I had a scale and could tell you how I used it. I would use this one to measure ingredients with though
I’d use the scale to help my husband eat healthier. He’s on a crusade to eat better and exercise more after heart surgery. He’s off to a good start with the exercise but struggles with willpower and portion size. Hopefully this would help. Thanks.
I’ve never had a kitchen scale but have always wanted a GOOD one! Would love to measure ingredients for breads, rolls, and my holiday baking!
I could finally follow the recipes from America’s Test Kitchen!
I have never had a digital kitchen scale. I would sure love one though!
I have the mechanical kind of scale
I do not have a kitchen scale and I would love to have one. I would use it of course to accurately measure ingredients in the kitchen, for weighting packages for correct postage in many online quilt related swaps I do and also to weight scraps of yarn bundles to see if I have enough for projects.
Ever since I started my journey to lose 104 lbs, I began measuring all my food. I love digital scales because I can weigh to the exact gram!
I have a scale…but not a digital scale! So, yeah, you can imagine how inaccurately my old eyes can mistakenly measure things! A digi scale would be PHENOMINAL!
I would use it to accurately measure ingredients from my British cook books that do not have the US cup measurements in them
The cheesecake was sublime. Since I didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand I made some changes and went with my traditional cheesecake base and then the addition of the maple. Instead of pecans I used walnuts. I also candied walnuts and topped the dessert with those instead of candy bars. I used a caramel sauce and sprinkled flaked sea salt. Thanks for the idea.
About the scale —- Aren’t they AWESOME?? ! ! !
I cant wait to make your cheescake it looks amazing! I would also love to have a kitchen scale..it would help me weigh out the exact weight of the product im using so there will be less mistakes
I’ve always wanted a scale to help with portion control, as well as help in the baking process of things. Great giveaway!
I don’t have one, but this would make random recipes I’ve found so much easier since they’re in weight measurements!
Oh this looks amazing and looks like its now on my Christmas menu! We just moved to a new state and my scale didn’t make it so I would love a new one!!! Thanks for all the great recipes!
I have never owned one so this would be wonderful to have to use, especially since it sounds like it would be much more accurate that traditional measuring tools. I would like to use to make this delicious, sounding cheese cake, that I have been reading about.
I would put the scale to good use. We are retiring soon and moving south. New Place…New Life….and New Recipes to try. See how nicely as New Scale would fit ?
I would love to have this! My scale is ancient !! Lol! It would be so nice to not have to drag out all the measuring cups!
I have never had any other way to measure ingredients so would love to have this scale and try your way of measuring. I am sure it would be much more accurate. Thank you