Toffee Cheesecake: The Superior Dessert

I think cheesecake is somehow both the superior version of pie and the superior version of cake (even though there’s nothing cake about it), and toffee is the superior version of caramel. This, because of the law of syllogism, means that toffee cheesecake is the superior dessert, and this one in particular is going to be even better because you’re making it yourself. 

Ingredients: 

Crust: 

• 1 ¾ cups of ground gingerbread cookies (you can use graham crackers, but the gingerbread is preferred) 

• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted 

• 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar, packed 

Cheesecake: 

• 32 ounces of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened (please use Philadelphia, it has a bunch of added gums and things to make it creamier) 

• 1 cup of white sugar 

• 5 eggs 

• ½ cup of heavy cream 

• 1-2 tablespoons of vanilla extract 

• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch 

• 1/8 teaspoon of salt 

• OPTIONAL: Smash some hard toffee into pieces to put inside of the cheesecake (storebought is fine; it’s going to be better than if you make it at home). You can just skip this step if you don't want anything crunchy in your cheesecake. 

Toffee Sauce: 

• 1 cup of dark brown sugar 

• 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter 

• 1/3 cup of golden English syrup or corn syrup 

• 1 tablespoon of black treacle or molasses 

• 2 cups of heavy whipping cream 

• Kosher salt to taste, but use more than you think you need 

Instructions: 

Crust: 

• Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit and spray a nine-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. 

• Combine all the ingredients together and press smoothly into the pan, making sure the crust is as level and flat as possible. 

• Wrap the outside of the pan with foil to prevent burning, and bake until the crust begins to darken, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool. 

Cheesecake: 

• In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar together. You can use electric beaters or just a whisk, but if you use a whisk, it will take a lot longer and your arm will hurt. 

• Add eggs one at a time, making sure to fully mix in each egg before adding another. 

• Add the rest of the ingredients and mix it all together. 

• OPTIONAL: Now is when you would add the toffee chunks. 

• Add the mixture into the cooled gingerbread crust and wrap the bottom/sides of your springform with foil. 

• Put the springform in a large roasting pan and fill 2 inches with water; this will make sure the cheesecake bakes through and doesn’t crack. (You can skip this step if you want. We are covering our cheesecake with toffee sauce anyway.) 

• Bake at 325º Fahrenheit for an hour and a half. 

• Crack the oven door slightly once the timer is up and let it cool inside the oven for one hour. (Again, if you don't care about cracks in the top, you can skip this step too). 

• Allow to finish cooling while you make your sauce and then pour the sauce on top before you serve. 

Toffee Sauce: 

• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, butter, syrup and molasses/treacle, and bring to a boil. 

• Add 1 cup of the cream and reduce heat to medium low. Let it sit and simmer for about 15 minutes. It should be thicker and darker now. 

• Add the second cup of cream and increase heat back to medium. Stir until it combines fully and then add the salt and let simmer for another 5 minutes.