Praline-Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1.5 tablespoons butter melted
• 2 teaspoons butter 
• 1 tablespoon plus light
• 8 ounce block cream cheese fat-free
• 1 cup brown sugar dark packed
• 2 large egg whites 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 ounce flour all-purpose
• 1.8 cups graham cracker crumbs 
• 0.3 cup granulated sugar 
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground allspice 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 0.8 cup pecans chopped
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 8 ounce cup heavy whipping cream fat-free sour
• 30 ounce sweet potatoes in syrup drained canned
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 tablespoon water 
• 3 tablespoons water 

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• sauce pan
• oven
• wire rack
• aluminum foil
• springform pan

Directions

1. To prepare praline, coat a 10-inch sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray.
2. Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons water, corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring as needed to dissolve sugar evenly (about 5 minutes). Continue cooking 5 minutes or until golden.
3. Remove from heat; carefully stir in pecans, 2 teaspoons butter, and salt. Immediately pour onto prepared foil, spreading to a thin layer. Cool completely. Break praline into small pieces.
4. Place in a food processor, and process until coarsely ground.
5. Preheat oven to 35
6. To prepare crust, combine cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl. Toss well with a fork. Press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
7. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
8. Reduce oven temperature to 32
9. To prepare filling, place sweet potatoes in food processor; process until smooth.
10. Remove from processor.
11. Combine brown sugar, cheeses, and sour cream in processor; process until smooth.
12. Add pureed sweet potatoes, flour, and the remaining ingredients, and process until smooth.
13. Add one-half of ground praline mixture; pulse 3 times or until blended.
14. Pour filling into crust.
15. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes. Turn off oven. (Do not remove cheesecake from oven.)
16. Let cheesecake stand in oven for 1 hour.
17. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 3 hours or overnight.
18. Sprinkle top with remaining ground praline mixture before serving.