Chocolate Caramel Twix Cheesecake

A decadent combination of cheesecake, chocolate and caramel!

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 1 1 /2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• CHEESECAKE:
• 32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• CARAMEL SAUCE*:
• 40 Kraft caramels, unwrapped
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 5 Tablespoons butter
• GANACHE:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used three 4-ounce Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate bars)
• GARNISH:
• Fun-sized Twix bars, optional

Instructions

1. To make crust, combine all ingredients and press into a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350º for 8 minutes. Let cool. Keep oven on to bake cheesecake.
2. To make cheesecake, using a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat 1 package of the cream cheese, ⅓ cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch together on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each.
4. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining sugar, then the vanilla.Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the cream just until completely blended.
5. The filling will look light, creamy, airy, and almost like billowy clouds. Be careful not to over mix.
6. Gently scrape out the the batter onto the crust. Wrap the sides of the pan in aluminum foil.
7. Place the cake pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes halfway (about 1 inch) up the side of the springform pan. Bake until the top is a very light golden brown and the center barely jiggles, about 1¼ hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours. Chill until cold.
8. To make the caramel, combine all in a heat proof bowl and microwave in 1 minute intervals until completely smooth and blended. Stir after each minute. Let cool a bit. You will only need about half of the caramel for this cheesecake.
9. To make the ganache, heat the cream just to a boil and pour over the chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Let sit 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted.
10. To assemble the cheesecake, pour about half the caramel into the center where the center has deflated down a bit. Chill just to firm up the caramel. (Note: I totally forget this caramel step!) Pour on the chocolate ganache and chill several hours or overnight. Top with fun-sized Twix bars if desired.
11. To serve, carefully remove the springform pan sides. Cut into slices and serve with caramel sauce.

Notes
*Making my microwave caramel sauce is an alternative to this caramel recipe, but it won’t be as thick.
I forgot to add the caramel sauce before the ganache. If you do add a caramel layer, it will ooze out a bit when you slice this cheesecake.

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