Thanks for the Memories Pumpkin Cheesecake

We have left The Hills behind and life continues as normal once again. Monday is always hard to get back into the swing of things for us all I'm sure..if you have a Monday to Friday job that is. Today will be extra hard after leaving the spa behind and being catered to hand and foot.

In honour of our weekend together I have reposted one of my favourite recipes for pumpkin cheesecake. I love the gingersnap crust and the caramel sauce. Somewhere around here I have a recipe for a pumpkin cheesecake with Praline Sauce that I will post as well. If it is not here it will be...I just have to locate it. We had Pumpkin Cheesecake as one of our desserts at The Hills. We also had dinner one evening at the 1821 Restaurant where I had Cornmeal Crusted Shrimp Skewers with Butternut Squash Risotto.

It always seems that I wait until the autumn and with it the cooler weather to prepare this delicious cheesecake. It is definitely a comfort food with its creamy and fulfilling textures. This is one of those recipes I am asked for often and have developed over the years, marrying different recipes and coming up with the solution I prefer.

Photo was taken at the Red Barn Fruit Stand in Enderby, British Columbia. Pumpkin season has arrived!


**Pumpkin Cheesecake**

2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
3 T sugar
6 T butter, melted
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3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin filling)
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tsp ground cinnamon
ground walnuts or pecan halves for decoration

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Preheat oven to 350F.
Place cookie crumbs, walnuts or pecans, and 3 T sugar in a food processor and pulse 3 - 4 times until combined; add butter and pulse 4 - 5 times, or until crumbly. Wrap the outside of a 10-inch spring form pan with aluminum foil, then press cookie mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Cool crust completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven heat to 325F.
Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed 3 minutes, or until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar and the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, beating 4 minutes, or until blended. Add vanilla.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Remove and set aside 1 cup of batter.
Add pumpkin, whipping cream, and cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat on low speed of an electric mixer just until blended. Do not over beat. Pour batter over prepared crust. Dollop reserved batter in a circular fashion and draw a knife through to create a marbled effect.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until almost set (it will jiggle in the centre). Remove from oven; run a knife around edge of pan. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour with a large bowl inverted on top of cheesecake in pan to prevent cracking.
Chill 8 hours or overnight. Garnish with walnut or pecan halves and serve with caramel sauce.

**Caramel Sauce**

1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 T light corn syrup
1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; add brown sugar and corn syrup, then cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Gradually add cream, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.