Banana pudding cheesecake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers

• 1/2 cup crushed wafers for the topping 
• 1/4 cup Unsalted  butter , melted
• 2 ripe bananas, diced
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2-3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese , softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• whipped cream and vanilla wafers for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, stir together crushed vanilla wafers, chopped pecans, and melted butter. Press into bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan.
• Stand 17 vanilla wafers around edge of pan with rounded sides facing outward. Press them gently into the crust.
• In a small saucepan, combine bananas (both diced and mashed) and lemon juice. Stir in brown sugar, using 2 tablespoons if your bananas are super ripe and 3 tablespoons if they are medium ripe. Cook over medium heat until brown sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Gradually add granulated sugar.
• Add eggs, one at a time and stopping to scrape down sides of bowl after each addition. Do not over beat. Only beat until most of yellow disappears before adding next egg.
• Beat in vanilla extract.
• Stir banana mixture in until evenly mixed. Pour batter into springform pan on top of crust.
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until center is almost set. Jiggle the pan to check.
• Turn oven off, open door about 6 inches and leave cheesecake in oven to cool for about 1 hour.
• Remove cheesecake to counter to cool for another 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.
• Garnish with whipped cream and vanilla wafers.