Pecan pralines are a Southern favorite. Add pralines to pumpkin cheesecake and you have a truly special dessert. You may make the pralines a day in advance so you can concentrate on the cheesecake in one sitting.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- Pralines:
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- .
- Crust:
- 1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
- 3/4 cup ground pecans (pulsed in a food processor)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted but cool
- 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
- .
- Filling:
- 3 (8-ounce large blocks) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1-1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin puree or homemade
- 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 eggs
Preparation:
Make pralines: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a shallow rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil.
Combine butter and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar melts and mixture comes to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute, without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Break into pieces. (You may make the pralines a day in advance. Store in an airtight container.)
Make crust: Combine vanilla cookie crumbs, ground pecans, butter, and brown sugar until clumps form. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and up the sides 1 inch. Refrigerate while you make the cheesecake filling.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Make filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until mixed in after each addition. Pour cheesecake filling into prepared crust.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes until golden and center is just barely set. (It should have a very slight jiggle in the center.) Place pan on rack to cool to room temperature. Cover pan and refrigerate overnight.
Run a sharp knife around the rim of the pan to loosen, then remove the side of the pan. Sprinkle the top of the cheesecake with the pralines, slice, and serve.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Combine butter and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar melts and mixture comes to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute, without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Break into pieces. (You may make the pralines a day in advance. Store in an airtight container.)
Make crust: Combine vanilla cookie crumbs, ground pecans, butter, and brown sugar until clumps form. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and up the sides 1 inch. Refrigerate while you make the cheesecake filling.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Make filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until mixed in after each addition. Pour cheesecake filling into prepared crust.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes until golden and center is just barely set. (It should have a very slight jiggle in the center.) Place pan on rack to cool to room temperature. Cover pan and refrigerate overnight.
Run a sharp knife around the rim of the pan to loosen, then remove the side of the pan. Sprinkle the top of the cheesecake with the pralines, slice, and serve.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
