Holiday Pumpkin Cheesecake

Creamy pumpkin dish for the holidays. (source: Homebasics Magazine)

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Yields: 1 cheesecake

Ingredients

• 40  gingersnap cookies, crumbled
• 1 3⁄4 cups sugar (divided)
• 3⁄4 cup margarine, melted (divided)
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1  tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp cloves)
• 6  eggs, slightly beaten
• 1  cup  whipping cream or 1  cup heavy cream
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. On bottom rack in oven, place 13" X 9" roasting pan filled halfway with water.
2. Preheat oven to 325 F.
3. In small bowl, combine cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup melted margarine.
4. In 10" springform pan, press crumb mixture onto bottom and halfway up sides; set aside.
5. In medium bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese and remining 1 1/2 cups sugar until mixture is creamy, about 3 minutes.
6. Beat in pumpkin, remaining 1/2 cup melted margarine, flour and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
7. Gradually beat in eggs, cream and vanilla until smooth.
8. Pour into prepared springform pan.
9. Bake in center of oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until edges are golden and middle is almost set.
10. (NOTE: 13X9 pan is on lower rack. DO NOT place cheesecake in 13X9 pan. Bake on the next rack up, or in the center of the oven.) Without opening the door, turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.
11. On wire rack, cool completely.
12. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
13. Best if made 1 day ahead.