Uptown Banana Pudding Cheesecake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 large ripe bananas, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
meringue
Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

Combine first three ingredients in a small bowl. Press evenly into bottom of a lightly greased 9-inch spring form pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Combine bananas and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or just until sugar has melted. Set aside.
Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth (around 3 minutes). Gradually add granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, then beat in coffee liqueur and vanilla. Blend well. Pour into prepared vanilla wafer crust. Spoon tablespoonfuls of banana mixture evenly over top, and swirl gently into cream cheese mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set.
Drop spoonfuls of Meringue gently and evenly over hot filling.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until Meringue is golden brown. Remove from oven and gently run a knife around the edge of cheesecake in the spring-form pan to loosen. Cool cheesecake completely on a wire rack. Cover loosely, and chill 8 hours. Release and remove sides of pan.
[MERINGUE: Beat egg whites and salt at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until soft peaks form and sugar dissolves (about 1-2 minutes).].