BANANA PUDDING CHEESECAKE


2 boxes vanilla wafer cookies
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3 bananas
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened - room temp
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
whipped cream

Finely crush 50 vanilla wafters in food processor (should equal 2 cups) and combine with butter.  Press into bottom of greased 9" springform pan.  Stand up cookies around edge of pan, pressing gently into crust to secure.  Bake crust for 10 minutes at 350*.

Dice two bananas and combine with lemon juice and brown sugar in a saucepan.   Cook over medium high heat for 1 minute and set aside.

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth and creamy, add sugar and beat until well blended.  Mix in one egg at a time, add vanilla and gently stir in banana mixture.

Pour batter into crust.  Place springform pan inside another cake pan (I used a 9" silicone cake pan, it stretched around the springform well).  Place the cake pans in a casserole dish and fill to the rim of the outer cake pan with water.  Bake for about 50 minutes at 350*.  Cool on counter while still in water bath for about 1 hour.  Remove inner cake pan from the outer one and place cheesecake in the fridge overnight to chill.

To decorate, crush cookies and sprinkle on top.  Pipe cool whip around edges and top each slice with a slice of banana and cookie. 


cheesecake just out of the oven







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