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Recipe Detail Page
White Pepper Praline Cheesecake
Autumn 2008
The sweetness of caramelized pecans is lightened by the light heat of white pepper. The layer of praline nestled in the centre of the cheesecake becomes fluid, turning into a sticky caramel sauce when sliced.
Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) cheesecake. Serves 10 to 12
Pecan Praline
1 cup (250 mL) lightly toasted pecan halves
¾ tsp (4 mL) ground white pepper
1 cup (250 mL) sugar
2 tbsp (25 mL) white corn syrup
¼ cup (50 mL) water
Crust
2 cups (500 mL) graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp (25 mL) sugar
⅓ cup (75 mL) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake
Three 225 g pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
⅔ cup (150 mL) golden brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp (25 mL) cornstarch
1 tbsp (15 mL) vanilla extract
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1. To make pecan praline, spread pecans out on a parchment-lined baking tray and sprinkle with white pepper. Bring sugar, corn syrup and water to a boil, uncovered. Without stirring, boil sugar mixture until a golden colour, occasionally brushing the sides with water (this takes about 7 minutes). Once colour is achieved, carefully pour caramel over pecans to coat. Cool until set (this can take up to an hour). Break praline into shards and pulse in a food processor until crumbly. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan and place pan on a baking tray.
3. To make crust, combine all ingredients until evenly blended and crumbly and press into bottom and halfway up the sides of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool. Sprinkle bottom of cooled crust with ½ cup (125 mL) of pecan praline.
4. To make cheesecake, reduce oven to 325ºF (160ºC).
5. Beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, then gradually add brown sugar while beating, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Beat in cornstarch, vanilla and salt. Add eggs 1 at a time, scraping well after each addition. Scrape cheesecake half of cheesecake filling into and sprinkle with 1 cup (250 mL) of pecan praline. Spread remaining cheesecake filling over praline and sprinkle top with ½ cup (125 mL) of praline. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn oven off and leave cheesecake in for 15 minutes more. Remove cheesecake from oven to cool to room temperature. Chill overnight before serving.
Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) cheesecake. Serves 10 to 12
