—Crust—
2 c Graham cracker crumbs
3/4 c Ground toasted hazelnuts; *
-see note
1/2 c Granulated sugar
1/2 c Melted butter or margarine;
-(1 stick)
—Filling—
4 pk (8-oz) cream cheese;
-softened
2 c Granulated sugar
1 tb Vanilla
1/2 c Sour cream
1/2 c Whipping cream
1 1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
3/4 ts Ground ginger
3/4 ts Ground nutmeg
1/4 ts Ground cloves
1/4 c All-purpose flour
8 Eggs
3 c Canned pumpkin (slightly
-less than 1 29-ounce can)
To make crust:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of 2
10-inch springform pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line sides of pans
with parchment or wax paper.
In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, hazelnuts, sugar and melted
butter. Mix well and divide evenly between prepared pans. Press firmly over
the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the pans.
To make filling:
In a large bowl, use a heavy-duty electric mixer to combine cream cheese,
sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth; add sour cream and whipping cream.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue beating. Add cinnamon, ginger,
nutmeg, cloves and flour. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each
addition; beat in pumpkin. Divide evenly between prepared pans.
Bake 20 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for
another hour or until the cheesecakes feel firm to the touch. Turn oven off
and let cheesecakes cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar, about 1
hour. This should prevent cracking (if a crack appears, simply blend some
sour cream, powdered sugar and vanilla and spread over the top when ready
to serve).
Cool, cover and refrigerate or freeze cheesecakes. If frozen, unwrap and
either thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for
several hours, cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.
NOTES : This makes two cheesecakes. You can serve one and freeze the other
for later use. If serving fresh, make up to 5 days in advance. For longer
storage, freeze in pan, covering top tightly with aluminum foil; may be
frozen up to 2 months. * To toast hazelnuts, spread the shelled nuts in a
shallow pan and roast in a 275-degree oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until the
skins crack. To remove skins, rub nuts while warm with a rough cloth.
Yields
32 Servings