Pumpkin Cheesecake

Happy Thanksgiving! I thought this recipe would be an appropriate one given the holiday tomorrow. Who doesn't love a good cheesecake? And pumpkin makes everything better- especially this time of year! I actually made this one a few weeks back for Danny's birthday and it was really good! I'm working on a different cheesecake recipe for tomorrow that I'll share later this week, but give this one a whirl for your holiday festivities this season!

What you need for the cheesecake:
Crust
2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 32 squares)
1/2 cup melted butter
Filling
4 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1.5 cups of sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (if you don't have it, this consists of 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon allspice)
Topping options
Chopped pecans
Whipped cream
Caramel sauce for drizzling

To make the cheesecake: 
1. Heat your oven to 300 degrees F. Wrap the outside bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan with foil. Grease the inside of the pan.
2. Mix your crust ingredients together in a bowl and then press into the bottom of your prepared pan. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside and let cool while you prepare the filling.
3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat. One at a time, add each egg, mixing until each is combined.

4. Spoon 3 cups of this mixture into the bottom of your crust and spread evenly.
5. Add the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining mixture still in your bowl. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined. Spoon this over the plain cream cheese mixture already in the pan.

6. Bake in your preheated oven for one hour and 20 minutes. The center may be a little jiggly but edges should be golden and set. Let cool in the oven for 30 minutes then transfer to the refridgerator for 6 hours (or overnight).

7. Remove from pan and top with pecans, caramel and/or whipped cream.

ENJOY

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