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1
Make the oven-roasted bananas: Preheat the oven to 325F.
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2
Place the unpeeled bananas on a roasting pan and roast in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bananas are soft, the skins are dark brown, and some juice is seeping out.
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3
Let the bananas cool to room temperature in the pan in their skins.
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4
Set aside.
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5
Increase the oven temperature to 400F.
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6
Make the maple rum sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, Earth Balance, and salt to taste and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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7
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
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8
Remove from the heat and add the rum, stirring well; be careful, as the sauce will bubble up a bit.
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9
Let cool for a few minutes, then taste and add more salt if necessary.
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10
Cool to room temperature, then transfer to a squeeze bottle.
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11
The sauce can be rewarmed by putting the bottle in a pan of hot water off the heat.
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12
Make the spiced pecan crust: Combine all the crust ingredients in a bowl and stir until well incorporated.
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13
Press the crust into a 9-inch springform pan and put in the freezer for 5 minutes.
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14
Bake in the center of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crust looks a little dry and the edges are light golden.
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15
Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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16
Make the filling: Peel the roasted bananas and remove any obvious strings.
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17
In a food processor, puree the bananas until very smooth.
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18
Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl periodically; do not overprocess, or the cream cheese will separate and curdle.
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19
Pour the filling into the crust and bake on the center rack of the oven for 10 minutes.
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20
Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and bake for another 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is the color of light brown sugar and the center of the cheesecake is set but still jiggles slightly; a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
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21
Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature on a rack for at least 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
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22
To serve: Rewarm the sauce in a pan of hot water.
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23
Use an offset spatula or a thin knife to loosen the edges of the cheesecake, remove the sides of the pan, and cut the cake into slices.
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24
Serve with the warm sauce and toasted pecans.
