Ultra-Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake With a Hint of Brandy
Fall is here and I've been craving spicy-sweet pumpkin cheesecake. Rich pumpkin, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cinnamon – all those earthy spices of a traditional pumpkin pie except they're in a velvety, creamy cheesecake. To kick things up a-bit, I add a little brandy to this recipe - Once you bite into this delight you are sure to surrender to the pleasure. Sure, it's an outrageous indulgence. But what the heck: The holidays are here!
INGREDIENTS
NutritionCrumb Crust
- 1 1⁄2cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
- 4
- 2tablespoons sugar
- 1⁄4teaspoon salt
Pumpkin Filling
- 2cups cottage cheese
- 2
- 2cups dark brown sugar
- 3large eggs
- 1⁄3cup flour
- 1(15 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin
- 1 1⁄2tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 1⁄2tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1⁄3cup brandy
- 1teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1⁄2teaspoon ground cloves
Topping
- whipped cream
- 1⁄2
- 1⁄2cup chopped crystallized ginger
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Coat 9" springform pan with cooking spray.
- Crumb Crust:.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Mix to moisten crumbs, then press into prepared pan - bottom and 2-inches up the sides. Bake 10-12 minutes until slightly darkened.
- Pumpkin Filling:.
- With a wire whisk or electric mixer on low speed, beat cottage cheese until smooth. Add cream cheese, brown sugar, eggs (one at a time until smooth), and flour; continue beating until smooth.
- Add pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, brandy, nutmeg and cloves; beat until smooth. COOK'S TIP: DO NOT OVERBEAT! If there is too much air in the batter, it will pouf up like a souffle while baking then drop into an unappetizing mess.
- Pour the batter into the baked graham cracker crust.
- Bake the cheesecake 1 1/2 hours on a baking sheet, or until top is firm and cake is beginning to pull away from sides of pan.
- Cool cheesecake to room temperature on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 hours before unmolding and serving. COOK'S TIP: Chilling overnight is best.
- Just before serving, decorate each slice with a daub of whip cream, chopped pecans and ginger.