This is a must at our house during Thanksgiving Dinner. Hope you like it as well!

Recipe addapted from America’s Test Kitchen: Pumpkin-Bourbon Cheesecake with Graham Pecan Crust.  I really enjoy this recipe. I don’t use bourbon as the original recipe asks. I do add a little more vanilla and sometimes mapple syrup instead of the bourbon.  It turns out delicious!!!

Crust:

3 ounces graham crackers

3 T sugar

2 ouces pecans

1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t ground cloves

4 T butter, melted

Pre heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Pulse crackers, nuts, sugar, and spices in food processor until evenly and finely ground, about fifteen 2-second pulses. Transfer crumbs to medium bowl, drizzle melted butter over, and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Turn crumbs into prepared springform pan and, using hand, spread crumbs into even layer. Using flat-bottomed ramekin or drinking glass, press crumbs evenly into pan bottom, then use a soup spoon to press and smooth crumbs into edges of pan. Bake until fragrant and browned about the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.

Filling:

1 1/3 c sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t ground ginger

1/4 t ground cloves

1/4 t ground nutmeg

1/4 t all spice

1/2 t salt

15 ouces can pumpkin

1 1/2 lb cream cheese (room temperature)

1 t vanilla

5 eggs

1 cup cream

1/4 c bourbon (optional)

Bring about 4 quarts water to simmer  in stockpot. Whisk sugar, spices, and salt in small bowl; set aside. To dry
pumpkin: Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper  towels. Spread pumpkin on paper towels in roughly even layer. Cover pumpkin with second triple layer of paper towels and press firmly until paper towels  are saturated. Peel back top layer of towels and discard. Grasp bottom towels  and fold pumpkin in half; peel back towels. Repeat and flip pumpkin onto baking  sheet; discard towel.

In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat cream cheese  at medium speed to break up and soften slightly, about 1 minute. Scrape beater  and bottom and sides of bowl well with rubber spatula. Add about one third of
sugar mixture and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute;  scrape bowl and add remaining sugar in two additions, scraping bowl after each  addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla and beat at medium speed until combined,  about 45 seconds; scrape bowl. Add 3 eggs and beat at medium-low until  incorporated, about 1 minute; scrape bowl. Add remaining 2 eggs and beat at  medium-low until incorporated, about 45 seconds; scrape bowl. Add heavy cream  and bourbon and beat at low speed until combined, about 45 seconds. Using rubber  spatula, scrape bottom and sides of bowl and give final stir by hand.

Set springform pan with cooled crust on 18-inch-square  doubled layer heavy-duty foil and wrap bottom and sides with foil; set wrapped  springform pan in roasting pan. Pour filling into springform pan and smooth
surface; set roasting pan in oven and pour enough boiling water to come about  halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until center of cake is slightly wobbly  when pan is shaken, and center of cake registers 145 to 150 degrees on  instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 hours. Set roasting pan on  wire rack and use paring knife to loosen cake from sides of pan. Cool until  water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath,  discard foil, and set on wire rack; continue to cool until barely warm, about 3  hours. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours  or up to 3 days.

TO SERVE: Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan  bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving platter. Let cheesecake stand at  room temperature about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

Brown  Sugar  Cream (delicious)

1 cup cream

1/2 c sour cream

1/2 c brown sugar

1/8 t salt

2 t vanilla

In bowl of standing mixer, whisk heavy cream, sour cream,  brown sugar, and salt until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate  until ready to serve cheesecake, at least 4 hours or up to 24, stirring once or
twice during chilling to ensure that sugar dissolves.

When ready to serve cheesecake, add vanilla and beat mixture  with whisk attachment at medium speed until small bubbles form around edges, about 40 seconds; increase speed to high and continue to beat until fluffy and
doubled in volume, about 1 minute longer. Spoon cream on individual slices of  cheesecake