Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

This is real, it's not a dream. Combining pumpkin, cheesecake and gingersnaps all in one dessert...there's no words for how glorious this is. Really it's a better version of pumpkin pie. I'll be the first to admit that I love me some pumpkin pie but sometimes you want to hang out with pumpkin pie's more sophisticated, prettier older sister. That my friends is this cheesecake. The spicy gingersnap crust is best part of this rich cheesecake, it's chewey and buttery and the perfect counterpart to the pumpkiny filling. The name might sound complex and overwhelming, but don't let this dessert fool you, it's really pretty easy. Top it with some sweet whipped cream and you have yourself the perfect fall dessert. Give it a try this season, you'll be glad you did!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Ingredients

Crust

1/4 cups finely crushed gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling mix)
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10" round springform pan lightly sprinkle the sides and bottom with sugar .

For the crust: Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until evenly crumbled or you can crunch up the cookies in a zip lock bag with a mallet or rolling pin until they are the consistency of fine sand (this method takes longer and is more difficult to get a fine consistency). Press into the bottom of the springform pan, and at least 1" up the sides of the pan. Bake for 7 minutes, just until you can smell the gingersnaps. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

For the filling: Place the cream cheese in the bowl of your mixer. Blend on low speed for a minute, until no more lumps remain. Add the sugar, flour and spices and mix for an additional 1 -2 minutes until everything is combined. Be sure to stop the mixer at least twice to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla and pumpkin and mix to combine. Add the eggs one at time, mixing for 10 seconds after each egg is added. Stir in the sour cream by hand. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan/crust and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The center of the cake will be wobbly but will set up as it cools.

When the cake is finished turn the oven off and prop the oven door open allow the cake to slowly cool for one hour in the open oven. Remove the cake from the oven and chill, lightly covered for 4 hours or overnight before serving. Enjoy with fresh whipped cream or plain!

*Bring cream cheese up to room temp by cutting it in to cubes and microwaving for 5 second intervals until it's soft.

*You can typically find crunchy gingersnap cookies in the cracker/cookie isle of the grocery store.
*Pumpkin puree is the unseasoned, canned pumpkin normally found in the baking isle (Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin is what I used). Save what you don’t use by freezing or refrigerating.