PUMPKIN PRALINE CHEESECAKE

By gaster16

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans (toast pecans on baking sheet at 350 for 6-8 minutes or until slightly darker in color)
• Cheesecake:
• 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese softened
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• Topping:
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Preparation

Step 1

Wrap bottom and sides of 9” springform pan with heavy duty foil. In medium bowl, stir together all crust ingredients except pecans, press into bottom of pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup pecans over crust. Refrigerate while preparing filling. Heat oven to 300. Place cream cheese in food processor, process until smooth and creamy. Add pumpkin, 1 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, pulse to combine. Add eggs two at a time, pulse until well-blended. Add rum, pulse to combine. Pour into pan.

Place spirngform pan in large shallow roasting or broiler pan. Fill pan with enough hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake 65-75 minutes or until edges are puffed and top is dry to the touch. Center should move slightly when pan is tapped but should not ripple as if liquid. Remove cake from water bath, remove foil. Cool on wire rack 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Place 1/2 cup brown sugar and cream in small saucepan, heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer 5 minutes or until thickened (you should be able to see bottom of pan when stirring, topping will thicken more as it cools.

Remove from heat, stir in 3/4 cup pecans. let stand until cool, 10-15 minutes. Pour over cheesecake, spreading with spatula. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until set. Store in refrigerator.