Pumpkin Cheesecake

I volunteered to take dessert to Lee's parents' place for Thanksgiving.  I decided I would combine two of my all time favourite desserts to make one heavenly and sinful creation: pumpkin cheesecake.  This cheesecake is low-fat, low-cal, no-sugar, ultra healthy and completely guilt-free.  Ok, not at all actually, but it tastes extra delicious if you tell yourself that as you're eating it.  Ignorance is bliss, no?

Ingredients

• 1 cup crushed ginger snap cookies
• 3 tbsp. melted butter
• 1-2 tbsp. brown sugar (depending on how sweet your ginger snaps are)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 8 0z. pkg. cream cheese (no low-fat crap, please)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 tbsp. dark rum
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice mix or equal parts cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger

Method

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Press into the bottom of a lightly greased spring form pan and put in the fridge to chill.
• In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese until light and fluffy.
• Slowly add sugar and continue to beat.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, fully combining mixture before adding the next.
• Slowly add flour and combine.  Add spice mixture.  
• Scrape the bowl down with a spatula and make sure everything is well combined.  The bowl will be FULL!  Don't be alarmed. 
• Pour cheese mixture into spring form pan and bake for 2 hours or until the cheesecake is set.
• Cool on the counter for 1 hour and then chill for several hours. 
• Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!  (more pictures of our Thanksgiving feast to follow)
xoxoxo