Shelly's Recipe

UPSIDE-DOWN TURTLE CHEESECAKE

Category: Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups vanilla-wafer crumbs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Filling:
1 (12.25-ounce) jar caramel ice-cream topping
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:
Warm fudge sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first three ingredients in a mixing bowl; stir. Press firmly in bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Pour caramel topping over crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped pecans over caramel.

Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Combine brown sugar and flour in a bowl. Add to cream cheese, beating until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add whipping cream and vanilla, beating just until blended. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour; turn oven off. Leave in oven with door closed for 1 hour.

Remove from oven. Gently run a knife around edge of pan to release sides. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover and chill for 8 hours. Remove sides of pan and garnish with warm fudge sauce, if desired, before serving.