Judge Tim Lapham came to the Austin County News Online studio to do a little cooking — and a lot of goofing off! Between cracking jokes and cracking us up, we whipped up a pecan pie cheesecake that was worth every single calorie. He was like a kid in the kitchen — full of laughs, mischief, and a little “culinary justice.” Things got deliciously out of hand, and by the end, the only thing guilty was that cheesecake…of being way too good. The verdict? 100% delicious!
For the Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the Cheesecake Filling:
24 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Pecan Pie Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream or ½ cup evaporated milk straight from the can
4 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325°F Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar, then press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in sour cream and vanilla extract. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 50-55 minutes until the center is slightly jiggly. Turn off the oven and let it sit for an hour before chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter. Stir continuously until thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pecans. We did not have the time to actually bake a cheesecake so we used Philadelphia No Bake Original Cheesecake Filling. We also added walnuts in with the pecans.