Pecan Pie Cheesecake

So my Thanksgiving offering of Pecan Pie Cheesecake was pretty much a success. It tasted great, but the pecan pie part caramelized a little too much and got really solid near the edges. I think if I make it again, I will crush the Nilla Wafers a little finer to try to make the crust go a little farther and try to push the crust up the sides of the pan a little better. And probably bake the crust a little less because it got browner than I thought it would. Hopefully, that will all protect the pecan pie layer a little better to keep it from hardening so much. In any case, here are some pictures and the recipe. I found the recipe on Pinterest from this lovely blogger, Heidi's So Called Life. And it looks like she got the original recipe from Bake or Break

Nilla Wafer crust after baking - I will need to be a little more aggressive at crushing the wafers next time... too many chunks...

After pouring the pecan pie filling into the pan

After the surprisingly messy job of mixing the cheesecake filling. Cream cheese does not like to be mixed...

After the oven.

And the final (delicious) product

Ingredients
For the crust:
1 & 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

For the pecan filling:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 & 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cheesecake:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 & 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 eggs
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
To make the 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.

To make the 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.

To make the cheesecake:

• 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.