Holiday Baking #24: Pumpkin-Caramel Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

A special Christmas recipe from my friend Kylee (you can read about Kylee at the end of the post): 

Kylee says:  I love this recipe for Christmastime.  My favorite desserts are pumpkin pie and pecan pie, and I feel that I can serve this cheesecake and a pecan pie at Christmas Eve dinner without people wondering where the turkey and pilgrims are hiding.  If you're interested in having this taste even more like pumpkin pie, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for the allspice.  I found this recipe in a Bon Appetit magazine while waiting at the emergency room, pregnant with my first child, while my husband was away on business.  Now I am much too wise to spend 6 hours in the emergency room waiting area because my fingers are swollen, but I have this lovely recipe as a result, written painstakingly on the back of an envelope from the gas company that happened to be in my purse, so I can't complain.  Merry Christmas!

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients: Crust 1-1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies 1-1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 ounces) 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted Filling 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature 1-2/3 cups sugar 1-1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon whipping cream 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground allspice 4 large eggs 1 Tbs. (about) purchased caramel sauce 1 cup sour cream Directions:  For Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind ground cookies, pecans and sugar in processor. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to small bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate to use for topping. Add pumpkin, 4 tablespoons whipping cream, ground cinnamon and ground allspice to mixture in large bowl and beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan). Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Bring remaining 3/4 cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature. Add remaining 5 tablespoons whipping cream to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Press down firmly on edges of cheesecake to even thickness. Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly. Spoon caramel sauce in lines over cream cheese mixture. Using tip of knife, swirl caramel sauce into cream cheese mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Release pan sides from cheesecake. Spoon sour cream into pastry bag fitted with small star tip (do not stir before using). Pipe decorative border around cheesecake and serve. Enjoy!  ************** About Kylee: " I have a BA in German and French (clearly not a lot of thought was given to my career options while in college), and a master's in elementary education.  I am a stay at home mom to my three often wonderful children, who are by far my toughest culinary critics.  I enjoy cooking, talking about food, reading about food, and basically doing anything of this nature that provides me with a valid excuse to put off all of the other less pleasant tasks around the house that scream for attention." ************* Thank you to Kylee for sharing this beautiful and tasty looking creation!  Merry Christmas to all of you!