Pumpkin Cheesecake

With Thanksgiving just a few days a way here’s one last idea in case you’re scrambling to figure out your dessert plan. Sure, everyone loves pumpkin pie – it’s a Thanksgiving classic – but what about pumpkin cheesecake? It delivers a wonderful pumpkin flavor and is all dressed up as a rich and creamy cheesecake. Oh, and the crust – no one will miss the pumpkin pie when they get a taste of the gingersnap crust, which is way easier to do, by the way – no rolling pin needed!

A few years ago my good friend Toni shared with me her family’s cheesecake recipe, which is so delicious, so, after getting her blessing, I adapted it. I switched up the crust and used gingersnaps instead of graham crackers (gingersnaps are more holiday-y, don’t you think?)  and added a few additional steps to incorporate the pumpkin. To get the marbled effect you just divide the batter – one part is the base filling (cheesecake only) and the other part has pumpkin puree with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice stirred in to the remaining cheesecake batter. The two fillings are then layered in the spring form pan and a quick stir with a small spatula gets you that marbled look.

This recipe produces a towering cheesecake, but don’t worry if you can’t stretch the crust all the way up the sides of the pan – after the cheesecake sets overnight in the fridge it’s very stable, so there should be no worries about it collapsing.

It feeds an army, so if you have a lot of guests for the big day there is plenty to go around. Or, if you’re only cooking for a few folks, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.

Before we jump to the recipe here’s a quick round up of my Thanksgiving recipe ideas — over the last few weeks I’ve shared a roasted brussels sprouts & kale salad, a super tasty onion dip, goat cheese stuffed mushrooms, decadent dark chocolate pecan bars, and green beans a go go. It’s been so fun sharing them and I hope you try them out ! If you do I would love to know how they worked for you, so leave a comment or drop me an email.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

A rich and creamy pumpkin cheesecake!

• Author: [Girl Gone Gourmet|http://www.girlgonegourmet.com" target="_blank]
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 10-12
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• [u]For the Crust[/u]
• 2 cups ground gingersnaps
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• [u]For the Filling[/u]
• 3 (8 ounce) cream cheese (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
• 15 ounce pumpkin puree
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon all spice
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. In a medium bowl combine the gingersnaps with the butter
3. Press the gingersnap/butter mixture into an even layer in a spring form pan, taking it up the sides about halfway
4. Chill the crust in the fridge
5. While the crust is chilling, make the filling
6. Using a mixer combine the cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice, sugar, sour cream, heavy cream, flour, and the 4 eggs. Mix until well combined.
7. In a seperate bowl mix together the pumpkin puree, 2 egg yolks, and all the spices until well combined
8. Add about 3 cups of the plain cheesecake filling to the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. At this point you should have 1 bowl with plain filling and 1 bowl with pumpkin cheesecake filling
9. Layer the different fillings in a 9 inch spring form pan, alternating flavors
10. Using a small spatula, carefully swirl the fillings together to get the marbled look. Be careful not to touch the crust with the base of the spatula
11. Bake the cheesecake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes
12. After 20 minutes, lower the heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes
13. After the 40 minutes, turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for at least an hour
14. The cheesecake is done when it’s mostly firm, but still jiggles in the middle
15. Cover the cheesecake and store in the refrigerator overnight

Notes

Adapted from my friend Toni’s family cheesecake recipe