#2574 - Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 2 cups finely crushed ginger snap cookies; 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans; 6 TBSP butter (melted)

Batter: 3 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened); 1 cup white sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla; 3 eggs; 1 cup Libby's canned pumpkin; 1 tsp. cinnamon; 1/4 tsp. nutmeg; a dash of ground cloves

Crust: in a bowl add crushed ginger snaps, chopped pecans and melted butter--stir until mixed. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform cheesecake pan. In a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add 3/4 cup of the white sugar and the vanilla--beat. Add eggs--beat. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the plain batter--set it aside. To the batter in the mixer add 1/4 cup white sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves--beat until smooth. Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the crust. Spread 1/2 of the reserved batter over the pumpkin batter. Pour the rest of the pumpkin batter over the plain batter. Spread the rest of the plain batter over the top. Use a wet table knife to swirl the batters. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate overnight.