Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

By trf0ster

Ingredients

• Pecan Shortbread Pie Crust:
• 1 1/2 c crushed pecan shortbread cookies
• 5 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 c crushed pecans
• 1tbsp sugar
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 large eggs
• 1 15-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
• 3 tablespoons bourbon (or Jack Daniels)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Details

Servings 16

Preparation

Step 1

Pecan Shortbread Pie Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Place cookies in blender or food processor (you may need to do this in batches). Blend on pulse until you have coarse crumbs
3. Stir cookie crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened.
4. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter spring-form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
5. Bake crust until set, about 8 minutes.
6. Cool. Wrap outside of pan in an oven roasting bag. Place in large roasting pan.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in flour and spices. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in pumpkin, bourbon and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the pecan layer.

Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to reach 1 inch up sides of spring-form pan. Bake cake in water bath until center is just set, adding more water to roasting pan as needed, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from water. Cool in pan on rack. Remove foil. Run small sharp knife between cake and pan sides. Chill until cold; then cover and chill overnight.

Release pan sides. Place cake on platter. If desired, top cake with glazed pecans, making circles from the outside, then another one inside the first row, repeating to the center of the cake. Make whipped cream rosettes around the outside of the cake. Cut cake into wedges.