Email to Cat      

Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Gingersnap Crust

Source of Recipe


From "Food & Wine's Holiday Cookbook"



List of Ingredients



• ½ cup pecan halves (plus more for decoration)
  
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  
• 1 cup gingersnap cookies (from about 20 cookies)
  
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  
• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
  
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
  
• ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
  
• 1 cup pumpkin purée (fresh or canned)
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• Pinch ground cloves
  
• Pinch ground ginger
  
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  






Instructions



1. Heat the oven to 325° F.
   In a food processor, chop the ½ cup of pecans with the granulated sugar until fine. Put the chopped nuts into a large bowl and stir in the gingersnap crumbs. Pour in the butter and stir to combine. Put the cookie-crumb-and-pecan mixture into a 10-inch pie pan and press it evenly against the bottom and sides of the pan to make a crust. Bake the crust in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool.
   
   
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar with an electric mixer until soft and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the sour cream, pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, and beat until just combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
   
   
3. Put the pie crust on a baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake in the middle of the oven until the filling is set, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool. Decorate the pie with additional pecan halves.
   
   Makes one 10-inch pie.
   
   






Final Comments


Because its cookie-crumb crust won't get soggy like a regular pie crust, the cheesecake can be made a day in advance and refrigerated.