Pumpkin Cheesecake

By Jenny_439

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• Filling:
• 4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons cognac
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 4 eggs, at room temp
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup pumpkin
• topping:
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon cognac
• 1/4 cup blanched whole almonds, sauteed in butter (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425

combine crust ingredients and press evenly into bottom of 10 inch springform pan. bake at 425 for 10 minutes. remove pan from oven and reduce temp to 325.

beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. add sugar gradually, beating until fluffy and light. add maple syrup, cognac, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. add eggs, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. add cream and pumpkin, mix well.

pour filling mixture into crust. bake at 325 for 45-60 minutes until center is set. turn off oven. do not open oven door. one hour after oven is turned off, remove cake.

preheat oven to 425.

stir together sour cream, sugar, syrup and cognac until well blended; spread over cake. bake at 425 for 10 minutes. cool at room temp for 1 hour. arrange almonds in a ring around perimeter of cake. chilld 3 hours before removing sides of pan