I have a few favorite cookbooks. Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook is one of them. The pumpkin cheesecake recipe is to die for. I made a couple additions but it is perfect that way it is too. I made this for Thanksgiving last year and hope to make that a holiday tradition.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
recipe found at http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/brunch-recipes-clinton-st-baking-company-article-1.444098
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
2 cups graham-cracker crumbs (I added 14 ginger snaps crumbs to make 2 cups)
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
CHEESECAKE BATTER:
1½ cups (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
Pinch of ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree, room temperature (I say rounded cup)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 large eggs
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.2. Make the crust: Mix the graham-cracker crumbs, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter until all the ingredients are well mixed.
3. Turn the crust mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly over the bottom (but not the sides). Press down firmly to form a crust.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and, let cool, while you start on the cheesecake batter. Turn down the oven temperature to 325.
5. Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and spices until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and heavy cream and mix until combined.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.
7. Assemble the cheesecake: Pour the batter over the baked crust.
8. Bake for 1 hour in the water bath (see note, below).
9. Turn off the oven, prop open the oven door, and allow cake to cool for 10 minutes. Remove cake from oven and cool completely in fridge overnight.
10. Cut with a hot knife and serve.
Note: To make a water bath, use any roasting pan that is large enough to hold the pan in which you are baking. Try a roasting pan with two handles. It’s a good idea to wrap your springform pan in heavy-duty foil before adding water to the roasting pan. Use hot tap water for the bath and make sure the water lever is at least 1 inch up the sides of the pan but not so high that water will splash into the springform.
Update 2017: Made this for a cheesecake-o-rama for school. Life can be so fun. The lesson I learned from this event was that balance feels best. This cheesecake although amazing should have been made on a different day. Such a crazy week was made for cookies not cheesecake. Or I could have been smart like a co-worker and purchased something to bring. I am learning a lot about life through baking!
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