Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake

A few weekends ago my husband and I were enjoying our early morning Saturday coffee time at home.  The tv was on and I was in and out of watching Pioneer Woman. Ree was doing a Friendsgiving with her girlfriends.  She proceeded to make this Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake.

My husband recognized the spring form pan she was using and says, "Hey, you have one of those, you should totally make that".  I wanted to say back to him...yes, I also have my own tool box, but you don't see me changing the oil in my car, do you?

I haven't had a lot of experience with cheesecakes made from scratch.  To me, in our altitude, they can get a little tricky.  Some of them have to be "in a bath", and others cook dry in the oven.  Some bake and others just chill out in the refrigerator.   I did conquer Trisha Yearwood's Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce and also played with some "semi-homemade" cheesecake desserts, but never a pumpkin cheesecake.

I'm always up for a good challenge, why not??!!  Until he said..."You can make it on Thanksgiving"!! Really??...yes, let's just throw a completely new recipe at me during the busiest cooking day of the year, because I'm not doing enough that day and using every bowl, mixer, and measuring utensil in the kitchen.  Well, with some very careful planning and scheduling of everything that day I jumped in...and nailed it!!  

So, if you're not completely sick of anything pumpkin right now and looking for a luscious dessert for the holidays to serve your family or guests, I highly recommend this cheesecake..they will be so impressed!!

Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake

Courtesy of Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman)

For the Crust:

12 ounces gingersnaps

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

6 Tbl salted butter, melted

2 Tbl packed brown sugar

dash of kosher salt

For the Filling:

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

To make the crust; in a food processor or blender, grind the gingersnaps until fine.  Pour into a bowl and stir in the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt.  Press into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the filling; beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until soft, scraping the sides once.  Mix in the pumpkin, scraping the sides once or twice.  add the eggs 1 at a time, allowing them to mix in, then add the sour cream and mix.  With the mixer on low, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.  Thoroughly scrape the bowl and mix to ensure everything is smooth and mixed in.

Pour the filling into the chilled springform pan crust, smoothing the top.  Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is no longer soupy but still slightly jiggly, about 50 minutes.  Turn off the oven, open the door a little and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 15 more minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight (is even better).

Serve with caramel sauce and/or freshly made whipped cream.

One Year Ago: Holly Jolly Buckets

Two Years Ago: Pecan Pie Bites

Three Years Ago: Zensational Chili