Praline-Crusted Cheesecake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Cheesecake
2 cups crushed shortbread cookies (about 28 cookies)
3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine, melted
4 pralines, coarsely crumbled
5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
2 (8 ounce) containers sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
Pralines
butter
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup half-and-half
3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Cheesecake: Combine cookie crumbs and butter.
Press into bottom and up sides of a greased 10-inch springform pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for approx 8 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack.
Sprinkle coarsely crumbled pralines over crust.
Beat cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy duty electric mixer until creamy.
Gradually add 1 3/4 cups sugar, flour, and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Add eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
Stir in whipping cream and lemon rind.
Pour in crust.
Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees on lower oven rack 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until almost set.
Cool on wire rack 1 hour.
Stir together sour cream and 1/3 cup sugar; spread over cheesecake.
Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
Cover and chill 8 hours.
Remove sides of pan.
Garnish, if desired with pralines.
Pralines: Butter bottom of a heavy 3-quart saucepan.
Cook brown sugar and next 3 ingredients in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugars dissolve; stir in pecans.
Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 238 degrees (soft ball stage).
Remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla; let stand 3 minutes.
Beat with a wooden spoon 3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.
Working rapidly, drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax paper.
Let stand until firm.