Philly Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

By Addie

Fluffy pumpkin cheesecake with a buttery gingersnap crust: If this doesn't make you change your holiday pie tradition, nothing will.

Ingredients

• 38 NABISCO Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
• 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 eggs

Preparation

Step 1

HEAT oven to 325°F.

MIX crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.

BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add pumpkin, spice and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour into crust.

BAKE 1 hour 20 min. to 1 hour 30 min. or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
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Special Extra:

Garnish with PLANTERS Pecan Halves and a light sprinkling of ground nutmeg just before serving.

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How to Use Fresh Pumpkin:

Substitute 1 cup mashed cooked cut-up fresh pumpkin for the canned pumpkin. Prepare crust and cheesecake filling as directed, adding 3 Tbsp. flour with the cream cheese and 1 container (8 oz.) Sour Cream with the pumpkin. Pour filling into crust. Bake at 325ºF for 1 hour and 15 min. or until center is almost set. Continue as directed.