Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker or gingersnap cookie crumbs
3/4 cup ground pecans
3 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 14 oz can solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 1/2 Tbsp Dark Molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 eggs
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour or line with parchment a 9 inch spring-form pan.
2. Using a fork, combine cookie crumbs, ground pecans, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and melted butter. Press mixture onto the bottom and two inches up the sides of the pan to form the crust.
3. In a small sauce pan on medium heat, combine pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, molasses, maple syrup and vanilla. Heat through until just starting to bubble then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the cream. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth. Mix in cooled pumpkin mixture one spoonful at a time until smooth and fully incorporated.
5. Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes with a loaf pan half full of water sitting next to it in the oven until the center of the cheesecake has set. The water bath in the oven will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking. Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until served.
Notes
I will sometimes cover the top with a very thin layer of sweetened sour cream before the cheesecake has cooled. This is another trick to prevent cracking so that your cheesecake has a perfectly smooth top.
1 1/2 cups graham cracker or gingersnap cookie crumbs
3/4 cup ground pecans
3 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 14 oz can solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 1/2 Tbsp Dark Molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 eggs
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour or line with parchment a 9 inch spring-form pan.
2. Using a fork, combine cookie crumbs, ground pecans, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and melted butter. Press mixture onto the bottom and two inches up the sides of the pan to form the crust.
3. In a small sauce pan on medium heat, combine pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, molasses, maple syrup and vanilla. Heat through until just starting to bubble then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the cream. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth. Mix in cooled pumpkin mixture one spoonful at a time until smooth and fully incorporated.
5. Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes with a loaf pan half full of water sitting next to it in the oven until the center of the cheesecake has set. The water bath in the oven will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking. Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until served.
Notes
I will sometimes cover the top with a very thin layer of sweetened sour cream before the cheesecake has cooled. This is another trick to prevent cracking so that your cheesecake has a perfectly smooth top.