Maple Pecan Cheesecake

Maple Pecan Cheesecake    

  

            

       Ingredients

 Crust:

 2 cups Finely ground gingersnaps

 3/4 Stick, (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

 Filling: 

2 lb Cream cheese, softened

 1 cup Firmly packed dark brown sugar

 1/2 cup Maple syrup

 3 large Eggs, separated

 1/2 cup Sour cream

 1/2 tsp Salt

 1 tsp Vanilla

 3/4 tsp Maple extract

 1 cup Pecans, toasted lightly and chopped fine        

 Directions

Crust:

 1. In a bowl stir together the gingersnap crumbs and the butter 

until the mixture is combined well and press the mixture onto the 

bottom and halfway up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. 

 Filling: 

 1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the 

cream cheese and the brown sugar until the mixture is light and 

fluffy and beat in the maple syrup. 

2. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, 

and beat in the sour cream, the salt, the vanilla, the maple extract, 

and the pecans. 

3. In a bowl with the electric mixer, beaters cleaned, beat the egg 

whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, whisk about 

one fourth of them onto the cream cheese mixture, and fold in the 

remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

 4. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake the cheesecake 

in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 1 hour. Turn off the oven, 

let the cheesecake cool completely in the oven with the door ajar, and 

chill it, covered, overnight.