White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake

I was on the search for a Go-To cheesecake recipe, and this is it! You can change it and construct it anyway you need to, to make an awesome delicious dessert that the whole family is sure to love.

Crust:

About 15 graham crackers

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a food processor, grind graham crackers to crumbs. Add sugar and salt and pulse to combine. With motor running, add butter through feed tube. Process until combined.

2.     Transfer the mixture to a spring foam pan OR a 8x8 Casserole dish, which is what I had on hand when I made this. Spread the mixture on the bottom and up the sides.

3.     Bake crust until slightly brown. You’ll just be able to smell it. This will take anywhere from 10-12 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and allow to cool on a rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Cheesecake Filling

2 8oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature (use Philadelphia, it works alot better than store brand)

1 8oz package Philadelphia White Chocolate Indulgence

1/2 cup of melted white chocolate chips

1 cup Macadamia Nuts

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1.     In a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment beat cream cheese until smooth, add the white chocolate and mix for about 1 minute.

2.     Add flour and salt, beat to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. There should be no lumps.

3.     Add the sugar and beat to combine.

4.     Add the vanilla, and then beat in the eggs one at a time until just combined, about 30 seconds each. Do not overbeat once the eggs are added; the cheesecake will puff up too much while baking, and the top will crack. Fold in the macadamia nuts (do not use mixer)

5.     Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust and smooth the top.

6.     Bake at 300 degrees F for 55 – 65 minutes. The center will seem to be only slightly set, and will be wobbly if you nudge it. The sides will puff slightly.

7.     Cool completely on a rack (took mine about 5 hours to cool,) then cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. DO NOT skip the cooling step, it is essential to making a perfect cheesecake.

You can eat this plain or you can add whipped cream and caramel sauce. It tastes amazing either way. Enjoy!

If you want to make a "simple cheesecake"... Here is the ingredient list:

3 8oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

You can add chocolate chips, raspberries, strawberries,... Anything you need to make it an amazing cheesecake