Confessions of A Wanna Be Cook

Chocolate and Caramel Cheesecake

Oreo Crust: 

• 1.5 cups Oreos
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Cheesecake: 

• 3 cups cream cheese
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cups sugar
• 4-5 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup Dark chocolate (70%)

Directions:

1. Grease a 7-9 inch spring form pan.
2. Combine ore crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press mixture onto the bottom and up the signs of the pan.
3. Cover the bottom and half way up the sides of the spring form with aluminum foil. Put it in the fridge while you prepare the cheesecake. 
4. Preheat the oven to 320 F.
5. Prepare a water bath by boiling water in a saucepan.
6. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add sugar, lemon juice, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat together until fully mixed.
7. Melt the chocolate and let it cool. Mix chocolate with about 1/3 of the cheesecake batter.
8. First spoon the chocolate batter into prepared pan, then add the rest of the batter.
9. Put the spring form in a larger pan which your put into the oven. Then pour water around the cheesecake, the water should reach halfway up the sides.
10. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cheesecake is set (it should move just slightly).
11. Let it cool completely, then but the whole spring form, covered in the fridge overnight, or about 6-8 hours.
12. Meanwhile prepare the caramel. 

Caramel: 

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tsp butter

1. Carefully heat the sugar in a saucepan without stirring.
2. Once the sugar starts melting and becomes a lovely amber brown cloud, swirl a few times.
3. Remove from heat and swirl until the sugar has melted.
4. Heat the cream in another saucepan. Add the diced butter to sugar.
5. Once butter is added, it will start to curdle a bit, but keep stirring and it will come together.
6. Put the saucepan back on the heat. Add the cream a little at a time. Be very careful, it will spit and splatter.
7. Let the caramel boil for a few minutes then remove from the heat.
8. Let it cool then pour into clean jars. Store in fridge. 

Dark Chocolate Ganache:

• 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl.
2. Carefully heat the cream in a saucepan until it it very hot, but not boiling.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for about 30 seconds.
4. Carefully stir ganache in a shiny and smooth. Let cool. 

Rosted Pecans: 

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and roast for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool. 

Assembly: 

1. Remove cheesecake from fridge.Place it on a plate or cake stand. Remove the sides of the spring form.
2. Pour caramel on top of the cake (as much as you like). Put back in the fridge.
3. Meanwhile, prepare ganache.
4. Once the ganache has cooled, remove cake from the fridge and pour ganache on top of the caramel layer.
5. Garnish with roasted pecans. 

(Source: call-me-cupcake.blogspot.com)