I promise I am officially cut off of pumpkin baked goods from here on out (not true but I’ll try).  Between pumpkin bread, pumpkin granola, a couple apple crisps, apple muffins, apple sauce, even pumpkin…alfredo…. I should really remember it is possible to ingest non-fall flavored food during the month of October.

I contemplated not posting this cheesecake due to the large crack on the top and to avoid back to back pumpkin posts.  Fortunately, it tasted too good not to share…  If you’re a little intimidated by cheesecake this is a perfect and easy recipe to get you going.

You’ll need:

1.75 cups graham cracker crumbs- use cinnamon graham crackersif it’s an option (I pulsed in food processor and then measured)

3 tablespoons brown sugar (I used light)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stick melted butter (if using unsalted add a pinch of salt)

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature… leave out overnight… do not even consider microwaving

1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (I used large eggs)

0.25 cups sour cream

1.5 cups sugar

Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

Pinch of allspice

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh whipped cream

0.25 cups toasted walnuts

Combine crumbs, sugar and 0.5 teaspoons of cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down into a 9-inch springform pan.  Mine crept about a third of the way up the sides.  Set aside.

Beat cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth.

New hand mixer- woohoo

Beat in pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and remaining spices.  Mix in flour and vanilla until well combined.  Pour into crust and smooth out.

Not so new baking sheet

Bake at 350 for an hour and twenty minutes.  I probably over cooked this… it did in fact crack.   You want the cheesecake to jiggle somewhat but not more so in the center than in the rest of the cake.  If it does this after an hour feel free to take it out.  I was a little paranoid about it being undercooked so I gave it a full hour twenty (extra twenty minutes to have your apartment smell like Fall).

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes.  Remove from pan, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours.  Smooth fresh whipped cream over the top and sprinkle with walnuts.

I strongly suggest giving away as much of this as possible… very addicting

getting smaller…