Oh, the pumpkins…I love the pumpkins. Here’s my hands-down favorite dessert recipe for this time of year.  This pumpkin cheesecake is creamy, tangy, pumpkin-y…perfectly at home on your weeknight dinner table or your holiday Thanksgiving table.  Doesn’t the pic just make you want a piece??   😉 

Crust Ingredients

• 9 graham crackers, broken into large pieces
• 3 T sugar
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 6 T unsalted butter, melted

Filling Ingredients

• 1-1/3 c sugar
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1/2 t ground cloves
• 1/2 t ground allspice
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 can (15 oz.) unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 1″ chunks (leave on counter about 30 min)
• 1 T vanilla
• 1 T lemon juice
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature (leave on counter about 30 min)
• 1 c heavy cream

Make the crust.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position & heat oven to 325 deg. Spray bottom & sides of 9″ springform pan evenly with nonstick cooking spray (or use butter). Pulse crackers, sugar & spices in food processor until evenly & finely ground, about 15 2-sec pulses. Transfer to medium bowl, pour melted butter over & mix until evenly moistened. Turn crumbs into prepared pan & spread crumbs into even layer. Press crumbs evenly into pan bottom & into edges. Bake until fragrant & browned, about 15 min. Cool on wire rack while making filling.

Make the filling.

Bring 4 qts of water to simmer in stockpot. Whisk sugar, spices & salt in small bowl, set aside.

In stand mixer fitted with flat beater, beat cream cheese at medium speed to break up & soften, about 1 min. Scrape beater & bottom & sides of bowl well with rubber spatula. Add about 1/3 of sugar mixture & beat at med-low speed until combined, about 1 min. Scrape bowl & add remaining sugar in 2 additions, scraping bowl after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla & lemon juice & beat at medium speed until combined, about 45 sec; scrape bowl. Add 3 eggs & beat at med-low until incorporated, about 1 min; scrape bowl. Add remaining 2 eggs & beat at med-low until incorporated, about 45 sec; scrape bowl. Add heavy cream & beat at low speed until incorporated, about 45 sec. Scrape bottom & sides of bowl with rubber spatula & give final stir by hand.

Set springform pan with cooled crust on 18″ square doubled layer heavy-duty foil & wrap bottom & sides with foil; set wrapped pan in roasting pan. Pour filling into springform pan & smooth surface; set roasting pan in oven & pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until center of cake is slightly wobbly when pan is shaken & center of cake registers 145 to 150 deg on instant-read thermometer, about 1-1/2 hrs. Run paring knife around cake to loosen. Set roasting pan on wire rack & cool until water is just warm, about 45 min. Remove springform pan from water bath, discard foil & set on wire rack; continue to cool until barely warm, about 3 hrs. Wrap with plastic wrap & refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hrs.

Serve plain (I love it just the way it is) or with whipped cream on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.