Shelly's Recipe

SPICED PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Category: Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup gingersnap-cookie crumbs (24 small cookies)
1/2 cup graham-cracker crumbs (4 graham crackers)
1/2 cup toasted pecan halves, pulsed in a food processor
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch of salt

Filling
3 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Topping:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 325; coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.

Crust: Combine gingersnap crumbs and graham-cracker crumbs for the crust in a bowl. Add pecans; stir in butter, the 2tbsp sugar, and salt until mixture is sandy. Press crumbs into bottom and 1 inch up sides of the prepared pan. Bake crust until it’s slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from the oven; cool slightly.

Filling: Beat cream cheese and the 1 cup sugar in a bowl until mixture is fluffy. Add pumpkin, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Beat mixture until smooth, scraping sides of the bowl. Pour filling into crust; place springform pan on a baking sheet. Bake cheesecake until sides are set but center still is jiggly, about 50 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven. (Leave oven on.)

Topping: Whisk together sour cream and confectioners sugar in a bowl. Spread topping over cheesecake. Return cheesecake to the oven; bake until it is set, about 15 minutes. Turn off oven and crack open the door; leave cheesecake in the oven for 20 minutes more.

Remove cheesecake from oven. Allow cheesecake to cool in pan on a rack for about 1 hour. Loosely cover cheesecake in pan with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

To serve, remove ring from the springform pan. Slice cheesecake with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry before each cut. Garnish individual servings with whipped cream and sugared pecans, if desired.