Alice Currahs Cinnamon Pecan Cheesecake Recipes

NO-FUSS CINNAMON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Flatten one tube of crescent roll dough, and press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese with 1 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough in the pan. Unroll the remaining crescent roll dough, and place over the top of the cream cheese layer. Spread melted butter over the top, and sprinkle the top with a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool, and refrigerate before serving.

CINNAMON APPLE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a bowl, beat butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until blended. Beat in flour, oats and walnuts until well blended. Press onto bottom and 1-1/2 in. up sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in milk and juice concentrate until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended (mixture will be thin). Pour into crust. Return pan to baking sheet. , Bake until center is almost set, 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled., To serve, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; saute apples until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly., For glaze, in a small saucepan, mix cornstarch, cinnamon and juice concentrate until smooth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon glaze to sauteed apples; toss to coat., Remove rim from springform pan. Top cheesecake with apples. Drizzle with glaze. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

BUTTER PECAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, sugar and butter; set aside 1/3 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan., Place springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla and butter flavoring. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in pecans. Pour into crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan., Bake until center is almost set, 70-80 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove sides of pan.

PECAN-PIE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter the inside of the springform pan.
• Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter, sugar and salt, and pulse until the mixture comes together and holds its shape when squeezed. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and press it into the bottom to make an even layer. Bake until the crust is just firm, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Place the pan on a large piece of foil, and fold the foil up the sides of the pan. (This helps seal the pan, to keep water out while baking.)
• For the filling: Wipe out the food processor. Pulse the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until completely smooth, without any lumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Add the eggs and vanilla, and pulse until incorporated. Pour the filling into the crust, and set the pan inside a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to go halfway up the sides of the springform pan (but not above the foil).
• Bake the cheesecake until the edge is set but the center jiggles slightly (when you gently shake the pan, the cheesecake should move in a cohesive wave motion), 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off, and open the door for a few seconds to let out some heat. Close the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven until cooked completely through, 1 hour more.
• Transfer the springform pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature. Wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
• For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet, and bake until they turn a few shades darker and are nicely toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then halve each pecan lengthwise.
• Meanwhile, heat the cream, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Reduce the heat to low to keep the cream mixture warm.
• Cook the sugar in an even layer in a medium skillet over medium heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Gently swirl the pan as needed as the sugar continues to melt and begins to caramelize and turn lightly golden in spots. Keep cooking and swirling until the caramel is a uniform deep amber. Remove from the heat, and slowly whisk in the warm cream mixture (watch out for ferocious bubbles). Return the caramel sauce to medium heat, and cook to reduce slightly, about 2 minutes. Let cool. To see if the sauce is ready for topping the cheesecake, dip a spoon into it and let the sauce drop off; it's ready if it easily and slowly drips off the spoon. (The sauce can be refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat in the microwave.)
• To assemble: Spoon the sauce into the center of the cheesecake, and let it ooze to the edge. If needed, swirl the sauce with the back of a spoon to help it along. Sprinkle the pecans in a generous layer over the sauce. The cheesecake can now be served or refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
• To slice the cake, dip a sharp, heavy knife into warm water, wipe the knife dry and slice into the cake. Wipe the knife clean and repeat.