Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake

There's not much I need to say about this one.  It's delicious and I can't wait to have a good reason to make it again.

Ingredients: 

2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used about 4 tablespoons instead)

1-14oz package of caramels, unwrapped

1-5oz can evaporated milk

1 cup chopped pecans

2-8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter.  Press into a 9-inch springform pan (mine is red, and it makes me happy).  In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt caramels with evaporated milk.  Heat and stir until smooth (this took a lot longer than I anticipated...I eventually turned up the heat to medium high).  Pour caramel sauce into crust and top with pecans.  In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla; beat until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition.  Melt the chocolate and blend into mixture.  Pour chocolate mixture over pecans.  

Bake in preheated (350F) oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until filling is set.  Loosen cake from edges of pan but do not remove rim until cooled to prevent top from cracking.  Chill in refrigerator overnight.