Morning all,
What better way to start a Monday morning than dreaming about cheesecake!?
There is one particular cheesecake I am especially fond of...
One that I devoured after some of my bestest friends slaved in the kitchen with the most glorious of ingredients....it was a masterpiece indeed.
Jaylyn and Brian have known each other for several years after meeting at RUF at LSU. Just over a year and a half ago they had one of their first dates...and spent it making none other than...
a delicious cheesecake:)
Brian proposed to Jaylyn a year later (with a little help/scheming by yours truly) and they'll be starting married life together in May of next year.
I get the honor of standing with Jaylyn and Brian as they commit to spend the rest of their lives learning to love one another.....and you know what that means!
Engagements and bridals for these two to come!!
We figured there's no better way to create some Save the Dates for these two than to make that Turtle Cheesecake goodness..
so take a few moments out of your busy Monday to dream of cheesecake and perhaps plan to make a little for family and friends.
after all...I'm a true believer that baking is quite therapeutic!
~Turtle Cheesecake~
Ingredients*
For the Crust
- 18 chocolate sandwich creme filled cookies, with filling intact
- 3 tablespoons pecans, chopped
- 5 tablespoons butter or margerine, softened, but not melted
NOTE: Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature
Crush the cookies to make crumbs. Place crumbs in a mixing bowl and add pecans and butter, mix well.
Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of greased 9-inch cheesecake pan. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
For the filling:
32 oz. cream cheese
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons butter flavoring
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup praline liqueur
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, and corn syrup with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and butter flavoring. Remove 3/4 cup of mixture and put in a small bowl. To this small bowl, add cocoa and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Mix well. Set aside.
To the original mixture, add praline liqueur and blend well. Stir in pecans. Pour half of original mixture onto crust. Spoon on half of cocoa mixture. Pour remainder of original mixture on top of cocoa mixture.
Spoon on remaining cocoa mixture.
Without disturbing crust, swirl the handle of a knife through cake, creating a marble effect. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, reduce heat to 200 degrees and bake for 2 hours, or until center no longer looks wet or shiny. Remove cake from oven and run a knife around the inside edge of pan to prevent cracks. Turn oven OFF and return cake to it for an additional 2 hours. Chill overnight in fridge
Topping:
5 oz milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup sour cream
pecan halves
heath bar bits
(Sour Cream? Who knew?)In a small heavy saucepan, combine chocolate and sour cream over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Spread on top of cake.
Arrange heath bits and pecans on cake as you prefer! Keep chilled
And there ya have it!!...trust me...it's gooooooood
Recipe from "I Love Cheesecake" by Mary Crownover
Jaylyn and Brian have cooked 7 of Crownover's recipe's in the year and a half that they've dated and plan to make many more together in the years to come;)
Stay tuned in the next few months for their engagements and Jaylyn's stunning wedding dress.
Wishing everyone a happy week.
Thanks for stopping by,
*Claire