Butter Pecan Cheesecake |
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
- 1 & 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 cups pecan halves and pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 16 ounces (453g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (237ml) heavy cream
TO MAKE THE CRUST:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 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.
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.*
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned. Do not overbake, or the crust will become too hard. Set aside to cool.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans, sugar, and salt.
- Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the pecans are toasted and the sugar sticks to them (about 7 or 8 minutes). Set aside to cool.
- If desired, set aside some of the pecans for garnish. (I used about 20 pecan halves for the garnish you see in the above photos.) Once cooled, roughly chop the remaining pecans.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to whip the cream until soft peaks form.
- Fold about a third of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Spread the filling evenly in the cooled crust. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.