Turtle Cheesecake

 

 

Base.



1 cup Plain Flour
1/3 cup packed Brown Sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup Pecans
35 g Cold Butter cubed

Place all ingredients in your food processor and pulse until mixed and pecans chopped.



If using 20cm round pans use 2 if larger use 1.  Place base in pan and using base of glass press mixture firmly down to form even base. 

Place 2 sheets of foil on bench put prepared pan in centre and rap the foil up the sides (this is so that the water from the water bath you cook the cheesecake in doesn't get into the pan and make a sloppy mess).

Place Pans in the oven bake at 175C for 14 minutes.  Remove and cool on wire rack.  While this is cooling leave the oven on and prepare the filling.

 



Filling.



4 packets of Cream Cheese
1 cup Castor Sugar
1/3 cup packed Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Plain Flour
1 tspn Vanilla Paste
4 eggs
1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Caramel top and fill
1/3 cup Chopped Pecans

Over a pan of simmering water melt chocolate and set aside to cool.

Place sugars and cream cheese in mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Beat in the flour and vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time until combined, scrape down the sides and beat again to ensure all incorporated.  Remove 1 and a 1/2 cups of the batter and stir into the melted, cooled chocolate.



If using one pan spread chocolate mixture on base evenly if using 2 pans divide and spread evenly over the bases.

 

In a bowl mix the pecans and caramel and drop tspoons of mixture over the chocolate batter.  Top with the remaining vanilla batter.  Place in baking pan or roasting pan and add one inch of hot water to the baking pan (water bath).





Bake for an hour if using 2 smaller pans or 1 hour 25 minutes if using larger pan, or until the surface is dull and the centre is set.  Remove from the oven and water bath, remove foil and cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Run a small sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen from the pan.  Cool for a further hour on rack then refrigerate for a couple of hours or over night.

Ganache.

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate
1/4 cup Cream
Pecans to decorate

In a heat proof bowl put the chocolate and cream and heat in microwave.  I use 30 second shots and stir together if it needs more another 30 seconds should do it to melt the chocolate.

Run your knife around the edge of the pan again and remove spring form sides.  Place on serving plate if you used baking paper under the base this should be easy to slide off.  Top with the ganache letting it run down the sides a bit,  place pecans on top to decorate.  Serve.