Caramel Cashew Cheesecake
When a friend served this luscious cheesecake at a birthday party, I left with the recipe. Every time I make it, the circle grows, as more and more people leave with the recipe. —Pat Price, Bucyrus, OH
Prep: 30 min.
• Bake: 65 min. + chilling Makes: 16 servings 1/4 cup cold butter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup chopped unsalted cashews, toasted
2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
1/8 tsp. salt FILLING 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream
cheese, softened
11/4 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
5 large eggs
2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream TOPPING 1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. water 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 cup unsalted cashews, toasted
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Wrap foil securely around pan.
2. Cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped cashews, confectioners’ sugar and salt. Press onto the bottom and 1/2 in. up the sides of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs and cream; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. hot water to larger pan.
4. Bake until the center is just set, 65-75 minutes. Remove springform pan from the water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool for 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Combine sugar and water in saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover and boil 2 minutes. Uncover; boil until mixture is golden brown and a candy thermometer reads 300°, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cream until smooth, about 5 minutes (mixture will appear lumpy at first). Add cashews; cool to lukewarm.
6. Remove cheesecake to a serving platter. Spoon cooled caramel over the cheesecake.
1 piece: 507 cal., 36g fat (18g sat. fat), 138mg chol., 248mg sod., 41g carb. (33g sugars, 1g fiber), 9g pro.