The Betty Crocker Project : Turtle Cheesecake

Can we just be awesome here for a minute?

Vegan fudge sauce, pecans, Oreo cookie crust & cheesecake. . . and wait for it. . . CARAMEL! Technology has come a long way from my early days of compassionate living. Sometimes I get that nostalgia often reserved for veterans of foreign wars or grandparents raised during the The Great Depression when I think about that first year of figuring out what was derived from animals and what wasn't. I had to learn words like Casein and Rennet. No one was really on the internet for much more than email then and I lived off Dr.Pepper and baked potatoes for the better part of year. I can't help but feel a little jealous of how easy kids these days have it. . . with their melty faux cheeses and Italian sausages . . . and now you can make your own CARAMEL!

So let's do this. . .

• 1 Oreo Cookie Pie Crust ( Betty has a recipe for a cookie crust that we'll revisit - but not today ) 
• 2 - 8oz Packages of Tofutti Cream Cheese
• 2 Cups of  Sour Cream Alternative
• 1/4 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
• 3/4 Cup of Sugar 
• 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla
• 2 Eggs worth of Ener G Egg Replacer(made per the instrusctions on the box ) 
• 1 Batch of Hot Fudge Topping (see below)
• 1 Batch of Caramel Topping (see below)

Hot Fudge Topping

• 8oz Silk Vanilla Coffee Creamer ( half the container)
• 1/2 a bag of Vegan Chocolate Chips ( I use Ghirardelli - but there are lots of others)
• 1/2 cup of Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Margarine
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla

In a sauce pan, heat at medium heat Creamer, Chocolate and Sugar til it starts to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in Margarine and Vanilla until the mix is smooth and creamy.  Let sauce cool for 30 minutes. NOTE : If you put it in the fridge - it gets firm - like fudge.


Caramel Topping

• 1 Cup of Light Corn Syrup 
• 1 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup of Margarine
• 8oz Silk Vanilla Coffee Creamer ( half the container) 

In a saucepan, heat  Corn Syrup, Brown Sugar and Margarine to a boil over low heat - Stir constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, Stir occasionally. Stir in Creamer. Then remove from heat and let cool.

Back to CHEESECAKE : 
Heat oven to 300.

Combine Cream Cheese, Sour Cream and Sugar in a bowl. Mix using a hand mixer til smooth. Add Vanilla, Flour and Egg Replacer and mix for about a minute. Make sure there are no clumps of flour. Pour into the Oreo Crust.

Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes. Check the center to make sure it solid with a toothpick. Pull it out when the cheesecake is solid to the touch and passes the toothpick test . . . another clue is when the top starts to crack a little - pulling from the sides.

Cool on a wire rack for around an hour and then add Pecans, Hot Fudge and Caramel.

 

Refrigerate overnight and SUIT UP! Turtle Cheesecake is going to be LEGENDARY!