Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecake

I've never made cheesecake before until I tried this recipe. I combined a recipe from Betty Crocker Thanksgiving cookbook with a recipe from Pillsbury Thanksgiving cookbook and just a few of my own tweaks. This has become a family favorite.

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 1 cheesecake

Ingredients

• CRUST

• 2  cups graham crackers, crushed
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup  melted butter

• FILLING

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 4  eggs
• 1  cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1  tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

• TOPPING

• 1  cup  chopped pecans, toasted*
• 1  cup  caramel topping
• 1  cup  hot fudge topping

Directions

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 9-inch springform pan with cooking.
2. spray. In small bowl, mix graham crackers with sugar and butter. Press.
3. crumb mixture in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake 8-10 minutes Let.
4. cool 5 minutes.
5. In large bowl, beat cream cheese on medium just until smooth and creamy.
6. (do not overbeat) On low, gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time,.
7. just until blended.
8. Stir in pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice into cream cheese.
9. mixture using a wire whisk until smooth. Spoon into pan.
10. Bake for 1 hour and 30 mins or until edges are set but center still.
11. jiggles slightly when moved.
12. Turn off oven, open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake inches.
13. oven 30 mins longer. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.
14. Without releasing side of pan, run a knife around the edge of pan to.
15. loosen cheesecake. Cool at least 30 mins, then cover loosely and.
16. refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
17. Just before serving, run knife around edge of pan and carefully remove.
18. side of pan. Put on serving plate.
19. Sprinkle toasted pecans over top of cheesecake. Heat hot fudge.
20. topping slightly in microwave. Drizzle over cheesecake. Drizzle.
21. caramel topping over the top and serve!
22. Toppings are added to your taste. you can add as little or as much as you like. Amounts for topping are approximate.
23. *To toast pecans, sprinkle into ungreased skillet. Cook over medium heat 5-7 mins, stirring often, just until pecans begin to brown. Do not over cook.
24. Toasting the pecans may seem like a waste of time to some, but I find they really bring out the flavor of the pecans. I wouldnt skip this step. :).