Pumpkin-Orange Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust and Salted Caramel

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin canned
• 6 tablespoons caramel topping store-bought
• 9 oz chocolate wafers such as nabisco famous 
• 24 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon flour 
• 0.8 cup granulated sugar 
• 0.3 cup heavy cream 
• 0.5 cup brown sugar light packed
• 0.3 cup maple syrup 
• 2  orange zest 
• 0.5 cup pecans toasted coarsely chopped
• 16 servings crust 
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
• 16 servings salt flaked for garnish (such as Cyprus sea salt flakes or Maldon salt)
• 0.3 cup cup heavy whipping cream sour
• 0.1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 cup butter unsalted melted

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• whisk
• blender
• roasting pan
• aluminum foil
• springform pan

Directions

1. Make crust: Preheat oven to 35
2. Whirl cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Whirl in butter just until incorporated.
3. Pour crumbs into a 9-in. springform pan and press over bottom and about 1 in. up inside of pan.
4. Bake 7 minutes, then let cool on a rack. Reduce oven heat to 30
5. Make filling: In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugars, and flour until smooth. Beat in eggs on low speed 1 at a time.
6. Add remaining filling ingredients and beat until just blended. Wrap bottom of pan with foil, pressing it up the outside.
7. Set springform pan in a roasting pan and pour filling into crust.
8. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up side of springform pan.
9. Bake until cheesecake barely jiggles in the center when gently shaken, about 1 1/4 hours.
10. Let cheesecake cool on a rack 1 hour, then chill until cold, at least 5 hours.
11. Whisk caramel topping and table salt in a bowl and spoon over cheesecake. Arrange pecans around rim and sprinkle flaked salt over pecans.
12. *Flaked salt has large, hollow, crunchy crystals. Find it at well-stocked grocery stores and online.