Pumpkin Cheesecake

Name: Pumpkin Cheesecake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 1 10inch cheesecake
Ingredients: 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs; 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans; 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled; 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or solid pack); 3 large eggs; 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar; 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons heavy cream; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 3 tablespoons Bourbon

Submitted by P48422

"I know there are hundreds of recipes for pumpkin cheesecake, but this one is my favorite. My husband requests it every Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie."

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Ready In:: 2hrs 10mins
Ingredients:: 18
Yields:: 1 10inch cheesecake

ingredients

CRUST
³⁄₄ cup graham cracker crumbs
¹⁄₂ cup finely chopped toasted pecans
¹⁄₄ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¹⁄₄ cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
FILLING
1 ¹⁄₂ cups pumpkin puree (fresh or solid pack)
3 large eggs
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cinnamon
¹⁄₂ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground ginger
¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₂ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
¹⁄₂ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons Bourbon

directions

CRUST: Mix all the ingredients together and press into the bottom of a 10" springform pan.
Chill.
FILLING: Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, spices, brown sugar.
In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese together with the granulated sugar on low speed, scraping down the bowl occasionally.
On low speed this may take about 5 minutes, but please don't be tempted to turn the speed up higher.
We want to incorporate as little air as possible into the filling.
When the mixture is ready, mix in the cream, the cornstarch, vanilla, and bourbon just until incorporated, then add the pumpkin mixture.
You will have to scrape down the bowl at least twice to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
Pour into the crust.
Wrap a piece of foil around the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
Place into a roasting pan large enough to hold it comfortably.
Put the pan in the oven, then pour boiling water all around until it comes 1/2-way up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake the cheesecake until done- it will be set on the edges but will still be a bit jiggly in the center.
It will finish setting up outside of the oven.
This baking will probably take 1 and 15 minutes, maybe an hour and a half.
Remove the cake from the water bath and let cool on the counter.
The refrigerate overnight.
Garnish with unsweetened whipped cream, and some chocolate shavings, or candied pecans.
Note: this cake can be baked, wrapped tightly in double layer of plastic, and frozen for up to a month.
Thaw in the refrigerator.

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Reviews

This was the hit of Thanksgiving! My family aren't huge pumpkin lovers, but they loved this. Love Recipe Zaar, cooking made easy.

maehdean492
This was a phenomal recipe. I am not a very good dessert cook, but this turned out great and was absolutely delicious. My 9 year old son inhaled it! I used pecan sandies as suggest by others, and the crust was like candy.

LBJ 2
Well, this certainly was a big hit at Thanksgiving dinner! Not a soul had the pumpkin pie and the cheesecake's gone. I skipped the bourbon and took Lorac's suggestion and used pecan sandies rather than graham crackers. To decorate I piped whipped cream buttons around the outside top edge and sprinkled the center generously with chocolate curls made from a 6oz melted Hershey's special dark chocolate bar, spread thinly over a cookie sheet, chilled, and then scraped into curls with a thin-bladed spatula. Gorgeous and delicious, P4. Thanks.

sugarpea
Excellent! I was requested to bring a pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving dinner by the "Chef Du Jour" ( my neighbor's gourmet cooking brother) who was making every thing else. I have never made a cheesecake before, but I knew Zaar would be my salvation! Thanks to PetitFour, I made the perfect pumpkin cheesecake. I loved the way the bourbon enhanced the pumpkin and well balanced spice flavors. I made the recipe as directed but substituted a crust made with pecan shortbread cookies (I'm not very fond of graham crackers). I added a topping made with fresh cranberries and orange juice and then a layer of whipped cream. It was too good! I never saw another crumb of that darn cheesecake after my desert slice - no one suggested I should take the rest home, no one even suggested I might like to take another serving or two for us for the next day!

Lorac