Butterscotch Cheesecake

Day 4 of Cheesecake Week at Recipe Shoebox brings us this drool-worthy culinary delight from my sister-in-law Mika.  Be sure to come back each day this week for a new cheesecake recipe and stay tuned for a Linky Party coming up on Friday where you all can link up your cheesecake recipes as well! 

From Mika:  I fell in love with butterscotch cheesecake on my flight home from London on British Airways. They had the best airline food. When I got home I tried to recreate it and this recipe turned out AMAZING. The first picture doesn't have the right number of ingredients because I had to hurry before a certain 1 year old got his hands on them. But you get the idea.

Source:  Taste of Home

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup cold 2% milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant butterscotch pudding mix
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Whipped cream and crushed butterscotch candies, and butterscotch sauce, optional

Directions:
Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar and 12-14 crushed butterscotch hard candies; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
In a small bowl, whisk the milks and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in pudding and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place springform pan into a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
Bake at 325° for 65-75 minutes or until center is almost set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with whipped cream , butterscotch or caramel sauce and butterscotch candies if desired. Makes 12 servings.
Enjoy!