This is my take on a classic baked cheesecake with some extra special topping. It takes me back to my Grandma's German cheesecake, made once a year for Shavuot. If you love toffee sauce, double the quantities and keep a little jar in the fridge to heat as a sauce with ice cream and desserts.

Serves: 10-14
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 1 hr 30 minutes

Ingredients

● Base
● 250g digestive biscuits
● 100g melted butter
● Filling
● 600g low fat cream cheese
● 200g caster sugar
● 1 tsp vanilla extract
● 300g soured cream
● 25g flour
● 4 eggs
● Pecan topping
● 200g pecan nuts
● 120g caster sugar
● Butterscotch sauce
● 40g butter
● 50g soft brown sugar
● 40g caster sugar
● 225g golden syrup
● 5 tbsp double cream
● ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method:

● Preheat the oven to 140°C.

● Grease and line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.

● For the base, crush the biscuits and melt the butter. Mix togethe and press into the tin evenly using the back of a spoon.

● For the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, soured cream and flour together until smooth. Then whisk the eggs in, one at a time, until well combined.

● Fill the cake tin with the mixture, place on a tray and bake for 60-80 minutes, or until the cheesecake is just set and lightly puffed up and golden at the sides.

● Leave to cool in the tin.

● For the caramel pecans: Scatter the pecans on a lined baking tray and toast at 140°C for 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they can burn easily.

● For the caramel: Put the sugar in a saucepan with enough water to just cover it. Heat gently until dissolved, and then turn the heat up to a simmer. Do not stir, but gently swirl occasionally to ensure that it is cooking evenly. Be careful! Sugar reaches temperatures of 160°C and can badly burn.

● When the sugar is caramel coloured, turn off the heat, add the pecans carefully, stir until they are coated and pour onto a lined baking tray to cool. Do not touch the nuts. When they have cooled, break into chunks or chop roughly.

● For the butterscotch sauce: Put the butter, sugars and golden syrup into a small pan and bring to a gentle boil. Stir and bubble lightly for 5 minutes.

● Add the cream and vanilla extract, boil for another minute, and turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

● To finish the cheesecake, pour the slightly warmed sauce over the cheesecake and scatter the nuts over the top. Refrigerate the cheesecake until you want to eat it.