Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups ground Nilla Wafers
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
Chesecake:
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 1.4-ounce English toffee candy bars (such as Heath or Skor), chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom of 9-inch springform pan with 2 1/2-inch-sides with nonstick spray. Stir ground cookies, butter, and sugar in bowl until moist clumps form. Press cookie mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Wrap outside of pan with 3 layers of foil. Bake until firm and beginning to darken, about 14 minutes. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.
For cheesecake:
Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in butter, then eggs, 1 at a time, until just blended. Beat in vanilla. Pour batter over crust in pan. Place springform pan in large roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until filling is puffed around edges, and center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Remove pan from water; remove foil. Refrigerate over night.
For caramel topping:
Stir sugar, water, and lemon juice in large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until mixture turns deep amber, oaccasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Chill 15-20 minutes.
Spoon caramel over top of cake just to edges (do not allow caramel to drip down sides). Garnish top edges with candy pieces. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.
