Praline Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 pound graham cracker crumbs
• 3 ounces sugar
• 3 ounces butter, melted
• 1 egg white

Cheesecake

• 3 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup vanilla
• ¼ cup Myer’s Dark Rum
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups sour cream
• 6 eggs

Praline Sauce

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• ¼ cup praline liqueur
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pralines

• 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
• 3 cups sugar
• ¼ cup margarine
• 12 ounces pecans
• 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
  

Directions:

Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan.
4. Bake until lightly browned and firm. Remove and let cool.

Cheesecake:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Add all ingredients except eggs to food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time and process only until combined.
3. Wrap two layers of aluminum foil around cheesecake pan with prepared crust. Bake in a roasting pan filled with water halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan, until the center is set, about 1 hour.
4. When the pan is shaken, the filling should move as one set mass. Remove from oven and remove cheesecake pan from roasting pan.
5. Remove foil and cool. Refrigerate one day before cutting. May be frozen for up to 3 months.

Praline Sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients and whisk until mixed well.

Pralines:

1. Combine milk, sugar and margarine in medium saucepot. Bring to a boil and simmer until reaches soft-ball stage.
2. Add pecans and vanilla extract and bring back to soft-ball stage.
3. Remove from heat and stir until mixture thickens.
4. Using a tablespoon, scoop onto parchment paper about 2 inches apart. Let cool.

Assembly:

1. Slice cheesecake. For each slice, top with 2 ounces of praline sauce and crumble 1 praline on top.