Sweet Potato Cheesecake

I found this in the Atlanta Constitution years ago and have made it several times with great success and I always receive compliments, even from people who don't like sweet potatoes. To help keep the cake from cracking I usually put a pan of water on the rack below to keep the oven humid. I like to top it with rum-flavored whipped cream.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Yields: 1 cheesecake

Ingredients

• Crust

• 1 1⁄2 cups pecans, finely chopped
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  egg white

• Filling

• 1⁄2 cup rum or 1⁄2 cup Bourbon
• 2  sweet potatoes
• 2 1⁄2 lbs cream cheese (5 pkgs.)
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1⁄2 cup cake flour or 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 6  eggs
• 2  egg yolks
•  cinnamon
•  nutmeg

Directions

1. You need a 10" springform pan or 9" with 3" sides.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Crust.
4. Mix pecans and sugar.
5. Beat egg whites until frothy.
6. Add enough egg white to the mixture so that nuts and sugar hold together in a ball.
7. Spray pan with oil, and press mixture into pan.
8. (OR you can use a graham cracker crumb crust).
9. Filling.
10. Cook bourbon or rum in a small pan until reduced by half.
11. Cook sweet potatoes and mash the pulp until smooth.
12. Measure 1 cup pulp and set aside.
13. In a mixing bowl, blend cream cheese with the sugar until smooth.
14. Add the flour and blend together.
15. Add the eggs and yolks; blend until smooth.
16. Scrape down sides of the bowl to prevent lumps.
17. Add bourbon, sweet potato puree, cinnamon and nutmeg.
18. Blend completely.
19. Pour batter into pan over crust.
20. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
21. The cheesecake should be firm and slightly colored on top.
22. Nothing should stick to finger when the center is touched.
23. Remove from oven and let cool for one hour.
24. Run a knife around the edge of the pan.
25. Refrigerate overnight or at least 2 hours.
26. Keep refrigerated until serving.
27. Serve with whipped cream.
28. Tips:
29. If you use a graham cracker crust, add some finely chopped pecans to the cracker crumbs.
30. Vanilla or coconut rum can also be used in this recipe.