Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Description
The combination of vanilla wafer cookies, bananas, cream cheese make a wonderfully declicious cheesecake. Garnish with extra banana slices, whipped cream, whole and/or crushed vanilla wafers.
Ingredients
1½ c. finely crushed vanilla wafers
½ c. finely chopped pecans
¼ c. butter, melted
17 vanilla wafers
2 ripe bananas, diced
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 T. light brown sugar
24 oz. packaged cream cheese, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
whipped cream and vanilla wafers, for garnish
banana slices, for garnish if desired
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together crushed vanilla wafers, chopped pecans, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a the springform pan.
Stand 17 vanilla wafers around the edge of the pan, with rounded sides facing outward. Press them gently into the crust.
In a small saucepan, combine bananas and lemon juice. Stir in brown sugar, using 2 T. if bananas are super ripe and 3 T. if they are medium ripe. Cook over medium heat until brown sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Gradually add granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl after each addition. Don't overbeat, only beat until most of yellow disappears before adding the next egg. Beat in vanilla extract.
Stir banana mixture in until evenly mixed. Pour batter into the springform pan on top of the crust.
Bake 45 - 55 minutes, until center is almost set. Jiggle the pan to check.
Turn oven off, open door about 6 inches; leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool for about 1 hour.
Remove cheesecake to the countertop to cool for another 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 8 hours before serving.
Garnish with whipped cream and vanilla wafers and maybe even banana slices.