Scrumptious Turtle Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup (9 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons chocolate flavor syrup

4 tablespoons caramel syrup or ice cream topping

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup mini semi-sweet morsels

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 9-inch springform pan.

To make the crust, mix crumbs and butter in a medium bowl. Press on to the bottom and 1 inch up the side of the springform pan.

For the filling, beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in large mixer bowl until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract; beat just until combined.

Melt 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips in microwave until melted. Chips may retain some of their shape. Remove two cups of the cheesecake batter and stir it into the melted chocolate chips.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the caramel sauce over bottom of the crust. Alternately spoon cream cheese batter and chocolate batter into the crust, beginning and ending with the cream cheese batter.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the edge is set and the center moves slightly. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, or in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Run knife around the edge of cheesecake.

Once completely cooled, add your toppings. Drizzle chocolate and caramel syrup over the cheesecake. Sprinkle with pecans and mini-chocolate chips.

Refrigerate overnight or for several hours to allow the flavors to meld together. Remove the side of the springform pan.

Nutritional Information: 14 Servings, 506 Calories, Total Fat 35.1g, Saturated Fat 17.2g, Cholesterol 115mg, Sodium 236mg, Total Carbohydrate 41.4g, Protein 9.2g

Source: Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service