The Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake

This is one of those desserts that you take a bite and automatically close your eyes and take it all in. Cheese cake so creamy and smooth that it just makes you want to delay swallowing! And then with that decadent topping of chocolate, and caramel and nuts. Really. Seriously. Is there anything better?

The Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers (about 40 cookies)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

3-8 oz packages Cream Cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Topping:

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/4 cup chopped peanuts or pecans

Mix crushed vanilla wafers and melted butter in a bowl and press into bottom of spring a form pan. At this point you can completely wrap the bottom and half way up the sides of the pan with heavy foil to keep any water from seeping in, or you can find a slightly larger sized pan and set your spring form pan inside it.

  

Next place your spring form pan into a larger pan filled a quarter way up the sides with very hot water. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with and condensed milk until creamy. Add the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until combined. Remove about a cup of the filling mixture and set aside. Then melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for about a minute or until just melted and mix with the cup of reserved filling.

Pour 1/2 of the white filling into crust, then top it with the filling, then top that with the last 1/2 of the white filling mix. If desired, you can take a knife and gently swirl colors. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 15-30 minutes on the middle rack of your oven. Your cake will be done when it is set on the edges but the middle should be a little jiggly. 

Turn off the heat but leave the cake in the oven. Open the door and allow to cool for another hour. Then chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. Remove outer ring from the spring form pan and top with mini chocolate chips and nuts. Then drizzle caramel sauce all over the top and allow to drip down the sides. Store covered in the refrigerator.

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