When I make cheesecakes, no 2 are the same. It’s a challenge for me to follow even my own recipes – I’m either too ambitious or have kitchen ADHD. I currently have 3 different versions of pumpkin cheesecake recipes, all created by myself based on “research”, trial and error, and what just seemed like a good idea at the time. This is the version I’m going to experiment with this year. Good luck!
Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
3 T brown sugar
6 T butter melted
Tip: break the cookies into pieces before placing them in a food processor to turn them into crumbs.
Note: I read that Paula Deen puts a whole stick of butter in her cheesecake crusts. But of course she would. She’s Paula Deen. I’ve tried it and I thought it made the crust too wet.
Filling:
3 – 8oz. Packages cream cheese, softened
1 – 15oz. Can of pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
Directions:
Oven: 350 degrees
For crust:
Using a fork (or food processor if your cookie crumbs are already in there), combine crust ingredients then press into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a greased and floured 9 inch springform pan. (I have a 10 inch pan that I prefer to use because I get sloppy with the volume of this recipe, so that’s also an option.)
For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add all other ingredients (pumpkin, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, brown sugar and spices). Beat together until well combined.
Pour into the pan and spread out evenly over the crust. Bake for about 60 minutes (though I’ve been known to leave mine in longer, trust your judgment). Note: I’ve had some leak out of the pan into the oven and later catch on fire (yikes!), so I prefer to put a cookie sheet below it as a precaution and easy clean up should that happen again. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes in the oven with the door cracked open, this is to avoid “cracking”. You should still let it cool a little while after removing it from the oven, then cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator preferably overnight. I like to serve mine with a dollop of whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top.
