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Never again
make a pumpkin pie for the holidays! This cheesecake is absolutely
wonderful. Let your family be the judge. -Linda Stradley -
Whats' Cooking America
Crust:
1 cup ginger snaps crumbled
1/3 cup ground toasted hazelnuts (any type of nuts may be used)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in center of oven.
Lightly grease a 9-inch
springform pan. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs,
hazelnuts, sugar, and butter or margarine. Mix well and press firmly
onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 7 minutes or until edges are light
brown. Remove from oven and cool crust completely on a wire rack.
Maintain oven temperature.
Filling:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese,
room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1 /2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
4
eggs,
room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned solid-packed pumpkin
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla
extract. Add sour cream and whipping cream; stir until well blended.
Mix in cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and flour. Add eggs, one at
a time, beating well after each addition; beat in pumpkin. Pour
pumpkin mixture into prepared graham cracker crust.
Place cheesecake in center of middle oven rack. Position a baking
pan filled halfway with hot water on lower rack. Bake 15 minutes,
then lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake another 70
minutes or until edges are light brown and center is almost set.
Turn oven off. Let cake stand in oven, with door ajar, 30 minutes or
until center is completely set. Remove from oven and cool completely
on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8
hours or overnight.
To serve, slide a small knife around edges of cake to loosen it
and remove sides of the springform pan; transfer onto a cake plate.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
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