Potluck

Perfect Holiday Dessert: Lucy’s Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

9 whole honey maid chocolate graham cracker
20 whole gingersnap
1 stick butter
1⁄4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
32 oz cream cheese, softened
15 oz pumpkin pureed pie filling
1 1⁄4 cup sugar
4 whole eggs
1 1⁄4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place graham crackers and ginger snaps in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until cookies become crumbs. Add pumpkin pie spice and melted butter. Continue to pulse until well combined. Spread mixture in a 8-9 inch spring form pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press crust in the pan and up the sides 1/4-1/2 inch. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixer until fluffy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, allowing one to incorporate before adding the next. Remove two cups of batter to a bowl. Add pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to the remaining batter in the bowl. Combine well. Pour half of the pumpkin batter over the crust in the pan. Spread evenly. Dollop half of the plain batter over the top of the pumpkin batter in crust. Pour the remaining pumpkin batter over the top. Dollop the second half of the plain batter over the top of the second layer of pumpkin batter in crust. Using a knife, create a swirl design by making long strokes through the pumpkin and plain batters. Bake for one hour until center set. If using a water bath- wrap the pan in two layers of aluminum foil leaving the top exposed. Place wrapped pan in a baking dish or roasting pan and fill pan with water to the half way level of the cheesecake pan. After cheesecake is baked, immediately remove wrapped cheesecake out of the water bath. Remove foil, and allow cheesecake to cool.

– Chef Lucy Greer, Greer’s Market & Catering