Crust:
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Filling:
3-8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
1 1/2 cups toasted pecan halves
2 cups good quality caramel sauce (homemade would be best )
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients for the crust until moist.
Press into a 10 inch spring form pan and set aside.
Filling:
In a stand mixer, whip cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
With mixer on low, stir in vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and stir again.
Whip in flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Scrape sides and stir again if necessary.
Pour filling into prepared crust and smooth the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until cheesecake is set and hardly jiggles, if at all, when moved. Remove from oven and cool completely to room temperature.
Topping:
Arrange pecan halves over top entire cheesecake in concentric circles.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Once ready to serve, run a knife around edges of cheesecake and remove sides of spring form pan.
To serve you can either drizzle 1 cup of caramel syrup over entire cheesecake and cut (with extra syrup to serve along with) or cut first and drizzle individual pieces.
Side note: I prefer to warm my caramel syrup to have a delicious contrast of hot and cold for this dessert.
