Shelly's Recipe

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Category: Cheesecake

Crust
2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about two inner packages of graham crackers)
Chocolate cookie crumbs may be substituted
6 tbsp butter, melted

Filling
2 1/2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp milk
For the toppings:
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

For the chocolate topping, combine four oz of sweet German chocolate with 2 tbsp whipping cream and one tbsp butter. Melt in a small saucepan and stir until smooth.

For the caramel topping, melt 12 caramels with 1/3 cup cream in a small saucepan, stirring until smooth. Or use ice cream topping.

Preheat the oven to 450. In a nine-inch spring form pan, mix the cracker crumbs and the melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into a crust across the bottom and about one inch up the sides. Bake the crust for eight minutes.

In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese with the sugar. Add the flour and salt. Add the eggs, vanilla, and milk all at once. Mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Pour the filling mix into the crust. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Lower the temperature to 200 degrees and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until the cheesecake filling is set.

After the cheesecake has cooled for ten minutes, with a sharp knife, loosen the edges of the cheesecake from the pan so that the cake will pull away from the pan as it cools. Remove the rim of the pan after it has cooled for about forty-five minutes. Drizzle the cheesecake with caramel and then with chocolate. Sprinkle nuts on the cake. Refrigerate until completely cool before serving.