Bourbon Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Hello, friends. Today I am giving you a recipe for the actual best cheesecake you'll ever eat. The base cheesecake here is as basic as you can get, but if you know me, you know basic vanilla is not my thing. So I had no choice but to add some homemade bourbon salted caramel sauce. 

And if you need something even less basic than this, I must suggest my Caramel Toffee Crunch Cheesecake. Doesn't get better than that.

Luckily for you we are having a rare rainy, cold day here or I wouldn't be posting this recipe for you. No way am I going to sit inside on my computer trying to type with two toddlers sitting on either of my arms on a sunny spring day. As it is, that's exactly what I'm currently doing as the rain pours outside. 

They just asked me if I know that we are having On the Hook Fish and Chips and this cheesecake for dinner tonight. Wow, that changes my plans. I don't know what I'm going to with the pork tenderloin in my oven, but I kind of wish they were right.  

Well, the kids are getting too squirmy to type anymore. Enjoy the cheesecake!

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• Bourbon Salted Caramel Cheesecake
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• Crust:
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 2 packages crushed graham crackers, you can also use Oreos, Gold Oreos, or gluten free Oreos)
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
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• Filling:
• 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• (you can also add 1/4 cup of the caramel to the batter, but I didn't)
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• Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce:
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 6 tablespoons salted butter
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon bourbon (or more to taste, can also be left out!)
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• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 300º. Combine the crust ingredients. Press into a 10 inch springform pan lined with parchment paper. I like to generously press it onto the sides first, pressing firmly with my fingers, and then press the bottom with a flat bottomed glass.
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• Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla (and caramel if using) and beat well. Add the eggs and beat just until combined. Pour into crust. 
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• Wrap the springform pan with a couple of wet dishtowels (this helps the cheesecake to cook more slowly and evenly). Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The center will still be jiggly. Turn the oven off and open the door about 4 inches, but leave the cheesecake in for about 30 more minutes (this helps the cheesecake to cool more slowly and evenly and prevents cracking). Remove from the oven and cool for about 30 more minutes. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
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• For the sauce, in a sauce pan, combine the sugar and syrup. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally. It will turn into liquid and then turn honey colored. Once it is a deep caramel color, remove from the heat and add the butter and stir until the butter is melted (it will bubble and splutter when you do this). Add the cream and stir until it's all combined.  Add the salt, vanilla, and bourbon. Bring it back to the heat and stir until it is all smooth. Be careful if you taste it, it is hot! Allow it to cool before pouring over the cooled cheesecake. If it gets too thick to pour, just warm it up again. If you have any leftover caramel, it is great in coffee or on ice cream!
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• Sprinkle the cheesecake with some coarse salt for the final touch. Enjoy!