BAKED
sticky rum pecan pie cheesecake
SERVES 12 | PREP 30 mins (+ 3 hours cooling & 4 hours chilling) | COOKING 50 mins
250g pkt butternut snap cookies
160g (1 1 /4 cups) pecans, toasted (see tip)
80g butter, melted, cooled
500g cream cheese, at room temperature, chopped
100g ( 1 /2 cup) caster sugar
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
Vanilla ice-cream, to serve
sticky rum sauce
215g (1 cup) caster sugar
100g butter, chopped
125ml ( 1 /2 cup) thickened cream
2 tbs dark rum
1 Grease a 20cm springform pan. Line base and side with baking paper, allowing the paper to overhang 4cm above side.
2 Place the biscuits and 35g ( 1 /4 cup) pecans in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Add the butter and process until just combined. Press the biscuit mixture over the base of prepared pan. Place in the fridge until required.
3 Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan forced. Use electric beaters to beat the cream cheese, caster sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth and well combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until just combined. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base. Smooth the surface. Place on a baking tray.
4 Bake for 50 minutes or until just firm to the touch but wobbles slightly in the centre. Turn off oven. Leave the cheesecake in the oven, with the door slightly ajar, for 3 hours or until cooled completely (this will prevent cake from cracking). Place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to set.
5 Meanwhile, to make the sticky rum sauce, place the caster sugar and 185ml ( 3 /4 cup) water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high. Bring to the boil. Simmer, without stirring, for 8-10 minutes or until dark golden. Remove from heat. Carefully stir in the butter until melted. Stir in the cream and rum then transfer to a bowl. Set aside for 1 hour to cool. Cover and place in the fridge for 3 hours or until thickened.
6 Drizzle half the rum sauce over the cheesecake. Top with ice-cream then drizzle over the remaining sauce. Roughly chop the remaining pecans and scatter over the top.
