Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake

There will be a dessert bar at the party tomorrow. The very first party! The kickoff! I am making a Chocolate Ganache Cake, a White Chocolate Raspberry Cake and Ron is making a Cheesecake. My friend Mary is making an Italian Wedding Cake. (I capitalized them because they are important.) Ron is very skilled in the cheesecake making world. He just kind of intuits what needs to be in the cheesecake. I asked for a CARAMEL MACCHIATO CHEESECAKE (notice it is all capitalized.) I convinced him to write down the recipe so it could be recreated.

Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
For the crust:
10 gingersnaps
1 package (1/3 box) graham crackers
4 T. butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
Run cookies and crackers through a food processor, add sugar and process again. Add butter and process until well blended. Mold into a springform pan coated with non-stick spray. Press mixture firmly on bottom and sides about 1/4 inch thick. Drizzle caramel over crust. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.

For the cheesecake:
3-8oz packages of low fat cream cheese at room temperature
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup sugar
5 t. instant coffee
3 t. vanilla
1/4 c. caramel ice cream topping
Mix cream cheese until soft and smooth, add sugar and mix. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Place vanilla in a microwave safe cup and microwave for 10 seconds. Add coffee granules and mix into a sludge. Pour into cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Pour mixture into springform pan. Drizzle caramel ice cream topping over cheesecake mixture. Swirl it in with a knife to blend a little. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. It is wise to put a cookie sheet under the springform pan in case some of the butter cooks through.

Sour cream topping:
1 cup sour cream
3 t. vanilla
1/4 cup + 2 T. powdered sugar
Beat until smooth. pour over warm cheesecake and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool on counter for 15 minutes. Loosely cover with foil and chill for at least 12 hours.

You will have to stay tuned to see how he decorates it. There is talk of whipped cream with vanilla caramel creamer mixed in and caramel topping. We will see.