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Smoked Maple Pecan Cheesecake

This cheesecake is four kinds of bold flavors meant to inspire your imagination and tantalize your guests. Sweet, smokey, rich, delicious, and bacon! You can’t miss with this masterpiece.
Difficulty:
5/5
Prep time:
40 min
Cook time:
40 min (Rest Overnight)
Serves:
4

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST

  • 1 cup graham crackers crumbled
  • 1 cup pecans crumbled
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup of butter

FOR THE PEACH COMPOTE

  • 1 large can of peaches in syrup
  • 1/4 cup fresh maple syrup
  • 1/2 can rhubarb cider

FOR THE CAKE FILLING

  • 3 packages of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR THE BACON FLOWERS

  • 12 strips thick-cut bacon
  • Brown sugar
  • KC BBQ Spice Rub
  • 12 toothpicks

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix the crust ingredients together thoroughly and spread them evenly into a well-greased or buttered medium spring-form pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.
  2. Preheat your Broil King pellet grill on the Roast setting, 350F (177C).
  3. Bake crust until bubbly and partially browned on your grill, approximately 15-20 minutes at 350F (177C). Remove and let cool.
  4. Mix the following ingredients for the filling. Cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, maple syrup, salt until smooth. Unseat cream cheese that sticks to the bottom and side and mix them in thoroughly.
  5. Beat the eggs together then pour them into the cream cheese filling slowly, mix in cream at this point as well. Mix on a low setting to avoid adding air to the batter.
  6. For best results create a double boiler to evenly cook the cake without drying out or overheating the sides. Otherwise, take your time and use a water pan to maintain a reasonable moisture level in your grill.
  7. Pour the filling into the springform pan on top of the crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes until set. The temperature at the center of the cake should be at least 170F (77C).
  8. Once set, remove and let cool slowly to prevent cracking.
  9. Refrigerate overnight to set completely.
  10. On your stovetop, grill top, or side burner simmer the canned peaches with the maple syrup and cider until partially browned and sticky. Add a splash of cider, stir, remove from heat and let stand until cooled.
  11. Lay the bacon out flat dust with Broil King KC BBQ Spice Rub and brown sugar.
  12. As you roll the bacon twist the strips to create the flower petal look.
  13. Pin the flowers with toothpicks and lay them out flat on parchment paper on a grill topper. Bake at 350F (177C) until desired doneness.
  14. Remove and garnish immediately, nobody likes cold bacon.
  15. Garnish with the fruit compote at this point too.
  16. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Styling & Development by Ben Street – Culinary Director
Photography by Kaitlin Abeele

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