Pumpkin Cheesecake with Nutella Ganache

By Texaschef11

Ingredients

• crust
• 1- 10 oz box of Lorna Doone shortbread cookies, crushed fine (I used all 2 sleeves)
• 1 stick salted butter, melted
• Tiny pinch of sea salt
• 1 ts vietnamese cinnamon
• cheesecake filling
• 4 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temp
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (maybe a little less)
• 3 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup plus 3 TB pumpkin puree
• 3 TB all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 ts of pure vanilla extract
• 1 ts cinnamon
• Couple dashes of pumpkin pie spice mix (use as much as you like; I’m not fond of it, so I used very little)
• Nutella ganache
• 1/2 cup (maybe a little more) of milk chocolate chips
• 4 TB nutella spread
• A couple of splashes of heavy cream
• 2 TB room temp salted butter

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a measuring cup, crack open the eggs and egg yolks, set aside until ready to use.
Spray a 10-inch springform pan with non stick spray. In a food processor grind up the cookies into a fine crumb. In a bowl, combine the cookies, a pinch of salt, and the melted butter. Mix, then press into the bottom and partially up the sides of the springform pan. (I use a flat bottomed glass to press it in evenly). Note: there will be some crumbs leftover; I normally use more crumbs than the average cheesecake because I love a thick crumb.
Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is just lightly brown around the edges, set aside and let cool. Reduce the oven heat to 300°F.
In a bowl combine the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and vanilla extract until mixed well, set aside. I used my food processor to make the cheesecake batter—I suppose you could use a mixer, but I don’t have one. With the food processor, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and lump free. Add in the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the eggs one at a time until all is mixed well; add in the heavy cream. Then add in the pumpkin puree mix slowly. Next add in, one tablespoon at a time, the three tablespoons of flour to the cheesecake batter. Process until all is well mixed.

baking:
Most people like to do a water bath for their cheesecake. I never do, I find all too annoying. But if you want to do this please feel free; it’s best to bake your cheesecake how ever you feel most comfortable.
I baked this cheesecake at 300°F for one hour and a half; turned off oven and left it alone for a couple hours. By then your middle should be nice and set. Recipe & photos by Dawn Finicane of vanillakitchen.blogspot.com Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Just before you’re ready to serve this, add on the Ganache. The cheesecake tastes best when the Ganache is nice and warm.

to make ganache:
Over low heat, melt the milk chocolate chips with the nutella, and a few splashes of heavy cream. To get it nice and glossy, just keep stirring being careful not let chocolate burn. Once it’s all melted and combined add in the 2 TB of salted butter to get it nice and glossy. Pour Ganache over the top of cheesecake or over individual slices.