Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

Crust: In a large food processor, place the graham crackers, pecans, and brown sugar in the bowl. Pulse into fine crumbs. Then pour in the melted butter and pulse again until well combined.

Pour the crumbs into the baking dish. Press the crumbs down into a tight even layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cheesecake Layer: You can use either a hand held electric mixer or food processor. It is important that your cream cheese is at room temperature and soft.

In a large mixing bowl, with a handheld mixer, cream blocks of softened cream cheese. Add sour cream and mix on low to blend. Add white sugar, flour, salt and vanilla and mix to blend. Add eggs, one at a time and mix on a low speed until smooth and creamy.

Or, clean the food processor bowl. Place the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, and salt in the bowl. Process until very smooth.

Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust. Tap the dish gently on the counter to remove air bubbles. Then bake for 30-40 (35 minutes was ideal for me) minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Pecan Pie Topping: Once the cheesecake is out of the oven, set a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add the chopped pecans, brown sugar, cream, butter, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a boil; stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Let stand 5-10 minutes just to let it cook down a bit (stir a few times) before adding to the cheesecake layer.

Pour the pecan topping over the cheesecake. Use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Chill the cheesecake for at least 2 hours to set.

To serve, but with a serrated knife. For clean sides, wipe the knife with a wet paper towel in between cuts.

NOTE: Instructions to Make Traditional Cheesecake: 1. Place a large rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any leakage. Line the bottom of a 9-1/2 inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Then clamp the ring around the bottom tightly (trim the paper edges if desired). 2. Press the crumbs with your hands over the bottom of the pan, and about 2/3 the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. 3. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 50-60 minutes. Check after 50 minutes. 4. Only prepare HALF the pecan pie topping. Pour over the top. 5. Carefully remove the ring off the spring form pan and place in the refrigerator to chill and set for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, slide the cheesecake onto a cake plate. Slice and serve cold.