Caramel-Toffee Cheesecake

As far as I am concerned, caramel is the best. Brown sugar and butter is the greatest mixture since yeast and flour. One of the best things which caramel goes with (maybe after onion) is chocolate. And I guess I'm just excited about cheese cakes at the moment, so I present, in my new line of recipes to raise your cholesterol levels just by looking:

Ingredients

Cake:

1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
5 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened (this is the size it comes in)
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 chocolate covered English toffee candy bars, crushed (Skor or Heath)

Caramel topping:

1 cup Brown sugar

1/2 cup half and half (half cream and half milk, definitely an American thing...)

4 tablespoons butter

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

Method

Biscuit base:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Wrap a double layer of foil tightly around pan to form a watertight seal.
2. For crust, combine cookie crumbs and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
3. Stir in melted butter, and press into bottom of foil-wrapped pan.
4. Bake about 14 minutes, then allow to cool.

Cheesy bits:

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
2. Add brown sugar and flour, beating until smooth.
3. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition, just until combined.
4. Beat in vanilla, and then pour over crust.
5. Place foil-wrapped spring form pan in a roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of spring form pan. (I skipped this water bath with no issues, I don't have a roasting pan or anything else big enough)
6. Bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes. (I baked mine 70 min.) until edges appear set, and center appears nearly set when gently giggled.
7. Carefully remove spring form pan from water, and cool cheesecake on wire rack for 15 minutes.
8. Using a sharp knife, loosen edge of cheesecake from sides of pan.
9. Cool completely for 1 3/4 hour. Remove foil, cover and chill overnight.

Caramel Topping:

FYI: this is very tasty, you could make the topping for anything you wanted it for; such as, my personal favorite, waffles and ice cream.

1. Mix brown sugar, half and half, butter and salt in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.
2. Cook while whisking gently for 5-7 minutes, until it gets thicker.
3. Add the vanilla and cook for another minute to continue thickening.
4. Turn off heat and allow cool slightly, before pouring the sauce into a jar.
5. Refrigerate over night.

In the morning: top with the cake with the caramel topping and chopped English toffee bars.