Pumpkin Cheesecake

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

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

Recipe

• 1 crust: mix all the ingredients together and press into the bottom of a 10" springform pan.
• 2 chill.
• 3 filling: heat the oven to 325 degrees.
• 4 whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, spices, brown sugar.
• 5 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.
• 6 on low speed this may take about 5 minutes, but please don't be tempted to turn the speed up higher.
• 7 we want to incorporate as little air as possible into the filling.
• 8 when the mixture is ready, mix in the cream, the cornstarch, vanilla, and bourbon just until incorporated, then add the pumpkin mixture.
• 9 you will have to scrape down the bowl at least twice to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
• 10 pour into the crust.
• 11 wrap a piece of foil around the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
• 12 place into a roasting pan large enough to hold it comfortably.
• 13 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.
• 14 bake the cheesecake until done- it will be set on the edges but will still be a bit jiggly in the center.
• 15 it will finish setting up outside of the oven.
• 16 this baking will probably take 1 and 15 minutes, maybe an hour and a half.
• 17 remove the cake from the water bath and let cool on the counter.
• 18 the refrigerate overnight.
• 19 garnish with unsweetened whipped cream, and some chocolate shavings, or candied pecans.
• 20 note: this cake can be baked, wrapped tightly in double layer of plastic, and frozen for up to a month.
• 21 thaw in the refrigerator.