Billy's Turtles Cheesecake
Required items:
10-inch springform pan
Measuring cup
Measuring spoon
Thermometer
Roasting pan
Aluminum foil
Ingredients
Graham Crust
1 ½ cups Graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
Mix and press on the bottom of the pan with a measuring cup for a smooth layer. Pre-bake this crust for 10 minutes at 300°F and set aside.
Cheesecake Filling (Preheat Oven 325°F)
4 pkg. Cream Cheese softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
Approx. 1 ½ cups of chopped Turtles candy (350 gram box)
Beat cream cheese, ¾ cup sugar with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing at low speed until blended. (Don’t over mix or it can cause air bubbles that will cause cracking while baking)
Stir in chopped Turtles into cheesecake batter and pour into pan over Graham bottom.
Water bath
A Water bath is helpful for perfect, creamy Cheesecake. This process requires two pans, the round springform pan and a large roasting pan that the cheesecake pan will fit into. Take heavy foil and wrap around the cheesecake pan, tightly covering the underside and up the edges. The foil wrap is meant to keep water from getting into the cheesecake pan during the water bath. Boil enough water to add into the roasting pan to come up the sides of the cheesecake pan for cooking.
The Water bath will help to prevent the Cheesecake from cracking. When you bake in a water bath, the water surrounding the pan will never get hotter than 212°F.
Bake at 325° for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hour or until the centre is set and the internal centre temperature reaches 150° F.
Remove from oven and cool at room temperature for three hours, taking a knife around edges of the pan each hour. Once cooled, place in the fridge wrapped tightly in plastic for at least 3 hours. I typically leave this overnight and decorate the next day.
Whipped cream
Whip together and set aside in the fridge. I add one package of Whipit to help whipping cream set and last longer.
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 Tablespoon Irish cream
Ganache
1 cup milk chocolate chips
¼ cup Baileys and a splash of heavy cream
1 package of chopped pecans
To make the Ganache, place chips in a small bowl. I microwave the Baileys and cream for just under 1 minute, enough to melt the chips when poured over. Whisk until smooth, then add pecans. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally.
Spread over cooled Cheesecake, draping to the edges to create a waterfall effect.
Caramel sauce
Combine water, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Stir with a fork until boiled. (4 minutes) Simmer until the syrup is honey-coloured. (6 minutes or until 225° F). Add cream and reduce heat to medium-low. Set aside to cool, it will thicken. The sauce will make enough to serve with Cheesecake and drizzle on top over Ganache.
½ cup water
1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ tsp table salt
1 cup heavy cream
Decorate to your liking. I chop additional Turtles to place around the edge of the Cheesecake.
Enjoy!
