3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 eggs
⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine wafer crumbs and brown sugar.
Stir in melted butter. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9″ springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Pecan Filling:
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into crust and set aside.
Cheesecake Filling:
Reduce oven to 325°. With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
Add brown sugar and flour and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.
Stir in cream and vanilla. Pour over pecan filling. Bake for 1 hour.
Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven with the door closed for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and run a knife along the outside edges to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan. Let cool.
Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
**Note: I always end up having a mushy crust whenever I try to do a water bath for my cheesecakes – I guess I just don’t wrap the pan well enough in foil.
This time I had a Pyrex dish filled with very hot water on the bottom rack while the cheesecake baked on the top rack, and I did not have a single crack!