Banana Pudding Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 2 large bananas diced ripe
• 0.3 cup butter melted
• 24 oz cream cheese softened
• 3 large eggs 
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 tablespoon juice of lemon 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar light
• 0.5 cup pecans chopped
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 0.5 cup coarsely vanilla wafers crushed
• 1.5 cups vanilla wafers crushed finely
• 17  vanilla wafers 
• 12 servings garnishes: whipped cream sweetened sliced

Equipment

• bowl
• sauce pan
• oven
• knife
• wire rack
• hand mixer
• springform pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a small bowl until well blended. Press mixture onto bottom of a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan. Stand 17 vanilla wafers around edge of pan (rounded sides against pan), pressing gently into crust to secure.
3. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).
4. Combine bananas and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute or just until sugar has dissolved.
5. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 minutes or until smooth. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until blended.
6. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Gently stir banana mixture into cream cheese mixture.
7. Pour batter into prepared crust.
8. Bake at 350 for 45 to 55 minutes or until center is almost set.
9. Remove cheesecake from oven; gently run a knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen.
10. Sprinkle top of cheesecake with coarsely crushed wafers. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 hours.