Delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe for Thanksgiving!

It's almost Thanksgiving! Time to start planning your menu and guest list. If you're anything like my family you probably have lots of people and lots of food. In my house we tend to have several desserts. My favorite is my mom's Pumpkin Cheesecake. A true autumn delight. I wait all year long for this delectable dish and am always satisfied come Thanksgiving.

In this hub I'll share with you the basic recipe for delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake. I can't give you my mom's recipe but I can give you the gist of how you make this dessert. Your family will adore this tasty dish. I'm telling you, if you like cheesecake you'll love pumpkin cheesecake. Forget the pumpkin pie, make a pumpkin cheesecake this year!

I recommend baking your cheesecake the night before Thanksgiving. The cooling is the longest part of the recipe. It's a common mistake for people baking cheesecake for the first time to start it only a few hours before they intend to serve it. Cheesecake is all about cooling. So be cool, start the night before.

Prep Time: 20 Min.
Total Time: 55 Min.
Servings: 12-16

Here's What You'll Need For The Crust:

• 1 Cup of graham cracker crumbs
  
• 1 Tbsp of sugar
• 1/4 Cup of butter, melted

And What You'll Need For The Filling:

• 2 Packages of cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 Cup of sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Can of solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 1/4 Tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp of ground ginger
• 1/2 Tsp of ground nutmeg
• 1/4 Tsp of salt

Finally, What You'll Need For The Optional Topping:

• 2 Cups of sour cream
• 2 Tbsp of sugar
• 1 Tsp of vanilla extract
• 12 to 16 pecan halves

So Here's What You Have To Do:

For Crust

1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and and butter in a small bowl.
2. Press the mixture into a 9 inch springform pan.
3. Chill

For Filling

1. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Beat in eggs until combined with mixture.
3. Stir in the pumpkin, spices and salt.
4. Pour mixture into the now chilled crust.

Now For The Baking

1. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350° F for 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, Work On The Topping (Optional)

1. Combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract until it's smooth.
2. Spread over the filling.
3. Now return the cake to the oven for five minutes.

Now Cool It And Serve

1. Cool for 10 minutes.
2. Gently run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake.
3. Cool for one hour longer.
4. Refrigerate the cake overnight.
5. Remove the sides of the pan.
6. Place a pecan half on each slice when you serve.

Now, enjoy your Pumpkin Cheesecake with your family! Happy Thanksgiving!

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