Holiday Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Assemble a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up.
• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter until moistened; press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Make the filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth; mix in flour (do not overmix). Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla, and salt; mix just until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.
• Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes without opening the oven. Turn off oven; to prevent the top from cracking, let cheesecake stay in oven 2 hours more (without opening).
• Remove from oven; cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, pecans, and cinnamon in a bowl. Pat into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract together in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolks all at once; beat just until combined. Carefully fold in pumpkin and heavy cream, marbling but not mixing completely. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until center appears nearly set when shaken, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before chilling in a refrigerator 8 hours to overnight. Drizzle caramel sauce over each serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Wrap the outside (bottom and sides) of a 9-inch springform pan with foil to prevent leaking. Make the crust: Toss the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar in a bowl until combined. Firmly press into the bottom of the pan. Bake until set and a few shades darker, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 more minutes. Add the pumpkin, sour cream, pie spice, vanilla and salt and beat until combined. Add the eggs and beat on medium-low speed until just combined; switch to a rubber spatula for the last few stirs, making sure to get the bottom of the bowl. Pour the filling into the cooled crust; gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
• Set the cheesecake in a roasting pan or large baking dish and set on the middle oven rack. Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes one-third of the way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake until it's set around the edges but the center is still jiggly, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn the oven off, crack the door open slightly and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 30 to 45 more minutes. Transfer to a rack, run a thin knife around the edge and let cool completely. Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Remove the springform ring. Top with whipped cream.

Steps:

• On bottom rack in oven, place 13" X 9" roasting pan filled halfway with water.
• Preheat oven to 325 F.
• In small bowl, combine cookie crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup melted margarine.
• In 10" springform pan, press crumb mixture onto bottom and halfway up sides; set aside.
• In medium bowl, with electric mixer, beat cream cheese and remining 1 1/2 cups sugar until mixture is creamy, about 3 minutes.
• Beat in pumpkin, remaining 1/2 cup melted margarine, flour and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
• Gradually beat in eggs, cream and vanilla until smooth.
• Pour into prepared springform pan.
• Bake in center of oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until edges are golden and middle is almost set.
• (NOTE: 13X9 pan is on lower rack. DO NOT place cheesecake in 13X9 pan. Bake on the next rack up, or in the center of the oven.) Without opening the door, turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.
• On wire rack, cool completely.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Best if made 1 day ahead.