BUTTER PECAN CHEESECAKE

It’s not the most interesting choice, but butter pecan is my favorite flavor of ice cream. That’s been the case since I was a child. Truth be told, I’m not likely to pass up any dessert labeled as butter pecan.

A while back I shared with you one of my favorite ways to toast pecans. It involves butter and sugar (and sometimes a bit of cinnamon). With minimal effort, you’ll get a batch of toasty, sweet, caramel-y pecans. They’re perfect for a sweet snack, but I also love to think of ways to use them in baking. (Helloooo, cookies!)

And now I’ve added them to one of my absolute favorite things – cheesecake!

The no-bake filling is a simple combination of cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and whipped cream. Perfectly delicious all on its own. But! Then a whole bunch of those buttery, toasty pecans get stirred into the filling to give it a fantastic nutty twist.

I paired that luscious filling with a basic shortbread crust. If you like, try a cookie crust instead. The classic graham cracker crust is always a good choice. Or try a cookie crust made from Pecan Sandies, vanilla wafers, or another of your favorite store-bought cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CRUST:

• 1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

FOR THE PECANS:

• 2 cups pecan halves and pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• pinch of salt

FOR THE FILLING:

• 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:
TO MAKE THE CRUST:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter, and mix with a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers until thoroughly combined. The mixture will be crumbly but should hold together when pinched.
3. .........................................

for full recipes please see : bakeorbreak.com

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