Before you start:

When making the toffee, wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.

You will have more toffee than you need for the pie.  Sorry… you’ll just have to eat it.

Be sure to check the pie about 30 minutes in to see if you need to add a ring of foil around the crust to prevent further browning before the center is fully cooked.

The ingredients:

For the cheesecake pie:

• 1 basic pie crust for a 9” pie
• 3 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs

For the toffee:

• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ tablespoon vanilla
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• ¾ cup pecans, finely chopped

The method:

For the cheesecake pie:

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Place pie crust into pie tin and flute edges.
3. Beat cream cheese in a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment until smooth and creamy (30-60 sec).
4. Add the sugar and vanilla gradually and beat until well incorporated.
5. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each until fully combined.  Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
6. Pour batter into unbaked pie crust.
7. Place on a baking tray along with a small oven proof baking dish filled with water.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until set in the center.  Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.  Transfer to refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight before eating.  Top with Pecan Toffee.

For the toffee:

1. In a heavy, medium saucepan stir together sugar, cream, butter, and cream of tartar.
2. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
3. Bring to a boil over medium low heat.  Boil for 3 minutes without stirring.
4. Turn heat to medium and stir frequently until mixture reaches 280° on a candy thermometer.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
6. Pour onto a parchment lined baking tray or a silicone mat.
7. Allow to cool for 3 minutes.  Sprinkle chocolate on surface evenly.  Allow to melt for 2 minutes.
8. Spread chocolate over entire surface.
9. Sprinkle on chopped pecans.
10. Place toffee in refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Remove and transfer to freezer for 20 more min.
11. Remove and break into pieces.