How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin is the star ingredient in this rich delicious dessert.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ingredients as listed
• 9-inch spring form pan
• Oven
• Refrigerator

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap aluminum foil around the spring form pan to prevent leaks in the oven.

2. CRUST:
   
   1 cup graham cracker crumbs
   3 Tablespoons sugar
   2 Tablespoons margarine, melted
   
   Combine all crust ingredients. Press into bottom of pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees.

3. FILLING:
   
   2 8-ounce bricks of cream cheese, softened
   3/4 cup granulated sugar
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   3 large eggs
   1 cup canned pumpkin
   3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
   1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
   
   Combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reserve 1 cup of batter. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg to batter. Mix well.

4. Pour pumpkin batter over crust. Spoon plain batter over pumpkin batter and swirl with a knife.
   
   Place cheesecake in 225 degree oven. Put water in a pan and place on the rack below the cheesecake. This prevents the cheesecake from cracking. Bake 2 hours and 15 minutes.
   
   Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Refrigerate in pan overnight.

5. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Drizzle with melted white chocolate chips.
   
   Quick drizzle:
   Place 1 cup white chocolate chips and 1 tsp. solid shortening in a ziploc bag. Microwave until melted. Snip of the corner of the bag and squeeze to drizzle melted white chocolate over top of the cheesecake.

Tips & Warnings

• Refrigerate any leftovers.