Vermont Maple Walnut Bacon Cheddar Cheesecake



Vermont Maple Walnut Bacon Cheddar Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups ground rice chex cereal
4 TBS brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped crisp bacon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 TBS bacon grease
3 TBS Vermont Maple Syrup
2 TBS butter, melted

Cheesecake filling:
2 (8 ozs) packages of cream cheese
16 ozs ricotta cheese (whole milk)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (one block) ( I used Cabot Alpine Cheddar)
3/4 cups sour cream
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBS flour

Glaze:
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cups Vermont maple syrup

Topping:
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup chopped crisp bacon
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup dark chocolate

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 10 inch spring form pan  (bottom and around sides)
2.  In large bowl add ingredients to crust.  With fork mix well to incorporate well.  Spread mixture into pan evenly across bottom and along sides, pressing firm.  Bake in oven 10 mins.  Remove
3.  In food processor or large bowl with electric mixer, add cheeses.  Pulse or mix well until fully blended.  Add sugar, eggs and cream.  Mix well.  Add vanilla and flour, Mix.  Scrap sides to make sure everything gets mix together.  Pour into spring form pan on top of crust. 
4.  Bake in oven on middle rack for approx. 55-60 mins.  Place an oven safe dish filled with water on bottom shelf.  This will help keep moisture in oven and prevent cake from cracking.
You can stick a toothpick in center of cake to see if it is done.  Toothpick should come out clean,  not wet. 
5.  When cake is done shut off oven.  Let cake sit in oven with door cracked for 1 hour.  Remove and let cool completely.  Refrigerate for few hours, or overnight before serving.  Remove side of spring form pan.
6.  To make glaze:  In medium size pan over med/high heat add cream and syrup.  Let boil.  Stir and continue to boil for 15 mins.  Add nuts, stir.  Add glaze to top of cheesecake. 
7.  To make chocolate glaze:  Melt chocolate in microwavable bowl.  Heat for approx. 1 min.  Remove and stir well.  Add 1 TBS bacon grease, stir.  Drizzle over cheesecake.
8.  Drizzle sour cream.  Sprinkle bacon crumbles and chopped walnuts.

Note:  I add my glaze and sour cream in little squirt bottle.  Then I squeeze across cake.

Serves 12