Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely ground pecans
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

Filling

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 /4 teaspoon salt
4 extra large eggs
1/2 cup of your favorite salted caramel sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9" springform pan.

Mix the crust ingredients together until crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 1" up the sides of the prepared pan; prick with a fork. Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Mix the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and salt at low speed until smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions. Stir in the caramel sauce and cream.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 40 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300°F and bake 15 minutes more, until the edges of the cake are set, and an instant-read thermometer inserted 2" from the edge reads 170°F.

Turn off the oven, crack the door with a wooden spoon, and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove the cake from the oven, and cool it at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 8 hours (or overnight) before serving. Serve with additional caramel sauce and sweetened whipped cream.

Yield: 12 servings.