Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Instructions

For the Brown Butter

Add the butter to a large pot and heat it over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and come to a simmer. Simmer until the butter is foamy, giving off a nutty aroma and has turned a deep golden brown. The whole process should take about 10-12 minutes.
1 1/4 cups (280 g) unsalted butter
Measure out 1/2 cup (120 ml) of brown butter to be used in the cheesecake batter. Use the remaining portion for the crust. Let both cool slightly before using.

For the Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (175 ℃).
Prepare your 9 inch springform pan for its later water bath by wrapping the bottom and sides of it with a decent amount of tinfoil. You want to make sure the tinfoil goes up about two inches on the sides of the pan so no water seeps into the pan as it bakes. I always use too much (around 8 layers) just so I know it’ll be okay.
Lightly grease the pan, and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper for easier removal later.
(I have also tried a new method recently- If you have a 10-inch cake pan that your springform pan can fit inside of, you can use this instead of wrapping the bottom with tinfoil. The 10 inch pan will sit inside of the large roasting pan and the cheesecake pan will sit inside of the 10 inch pan. The hot water will go in the roasting pan around the 10 inch pan leaving the cheesecake pan untouched by water! I hope this makes sense, like a box within a box within a box.)
Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. A
16 (240 g) graham crackers, full sheets
Add in the reserved portion of brown butter and the brown sugar. Pulse until combined.
reserved brown butter from above, 2 tbsp (28 g) brown sugar, packed
Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, about 1 inch. (A ¼ measuring cup really helps with this step).
Bake the crust for 10 minutes then let it cool while working on the rest of the cheesecake.

For the Brown Butter Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (175 ℃) if not still preheated from the crust.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, corn starch, brown sugar and granulated white sugar together with a paddle attachment on medium speed for two minutes until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. (You can alternatively use a hand mixer). Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed well.
32 oz (907 g) cream cheese, softened at room temperature, 3/4 cup (165 g) brown sugar, packed, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar, 2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch
Add in the reserved 1/2 cup (120 ml) of brown butter, vanilla, and sour cream to the cream cheese mixture and mix for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl again to ensure everything is mixed together.
1/2 cup (120 ml) brown butter from above, 1/3 cup (82 g) sour cream, at room temperature, 2 tsp vanilla
At this point, stop and put a pot of water on the stove to start boiling for the water bath. You will want about 1 ½ inches of water in the roasting pan.
Next add in the eggs and egg yolks to the cheesecake batter. Mix on medium-low speed just until combined. Do not over mix the batter.
3 eggs, at room temperature, 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
Pour the batter into the prepared pan with the crust.
Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan in the oven. Slowly pour the boiling water into the roasting pan around the cheesecake being careful not to splash the cheesecake.
(If you're using the 10-inch pan method, place the cheesecake in the 10-inch pan, then place the 10-inch pan in the large roasting pan. Pour water into the roasting pan around the 10-inch pan.)
Bake at 350 ℉ (175 ℃) for 1 hour. When 1 hour is up, turn off the oven and crack the oven door open using a wooden utensil. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for 1 more hour. The cheesecake will continue to bake as it is cooling.
Once the 2 hours are up, remove the cheesecake from the oven and go around the edges of the pan with a butter knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with tin foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours.
(I bake it the night before and let it refrigerate overnight).

For the Pecan Pie Topping

Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, then let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9 tbsp (126 g) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the cream. Let the mixture simmer for 3-4 minutes.
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
Remove from the heat, then mix in the vanilla and salt. Pour the hot caramel sauce into a bowl and let it cool on the counter to room temperature.
1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt
Once the caramel sauce is completely cool, mix in the pecans.
(If you choose to make the pecan pie topping the night before, wait to add the pecans. You will want to gently reheat the sauce to loosen it up a bit, then add in the pecans.)
2 cups (225 g) whole pecans
Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate, then pour the pecan pie sauce on top of the cheesecake. Smooth it out into an even layer with a mini offset spatula. Then serve!

Ingredients

For the Brown Butter

For the Crust

For the Brown Butter Cheesecake

For the Pecan Pie Topping

Instructions

For the Brown Butter

For the Crust

For the Brown Butter Cheesecake

For the Pecan Pie Topping

Notes