Butterscotch Cheesecake
1 ½ C graham cracker crumbs
½ C + 1/3 C sugar
6 T melted butter
1 3.5 oz. box of butterscotch pudding (regular, not instant)
1 ½ C milk
3 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
Chocolate for shaving – the garnish
Step One
Prepare the pudding by mixing it with ½ C sugar and 1 ½ C milk. Stir over low heat until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat and cool completely. You can see in the photo that I rested my sauce pan in an ice bath to cool quickly. Be sure to keep stirring so a skin does not form on the pudding.
Alternatively, you could put the pudding in the fridge with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface – whatever it takes to avoid the dreaded ‘pudding skin.’
Step Two
Make the crust my mixing the crumbs with 1/3 C sugar and the melted butter. With your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a spring form pan. Try to get the crumbs up quite high on the sides.
Step Three
Mix the cream cheese, the eggs and vanilla very well. You want a completely smooth texture. Add the lovely pudding and continue to mix.
Pour into the prepared crust and bake for about 50 minutes at 375 degrees.
When completely cool, remove sides from the pan and with a vegetable peeler, garnish with dark chocolate.
