Birthdays and holidays are great times for cheesecake, and Christmas is ideal for this particular one. In our annual church baking contest, it won first place! —Tish Frish, Hampden, Maine
Ingredients
- 1 cup crushed vanilla wafers (about 30 wafers)
- 1/4 cup ground pecans
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- filling:
- 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon maple flavoring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- topping:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, pecans and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Add the flour, maple flavoring and vanilla; beat until blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into crust. Place pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.
- Place in a large baking pan. Fill larger pan with hot water to a depth of 1 in. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until center is just set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove foil. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool for 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
- For topping, combine the honey, butter and water in a small saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add nuts; cook 2 minutes longer (mixture will be thin). Spoon over cheesecake. Carefully remove rim of pan before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.
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