Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup firmly brown sugar dark packed
• 6 tablespoons butter melted
• 12 servings garnishes: candied nuts 
• 1.5 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs ( 30 cookies)
• 24 ounce cream cheese softened at room temperature
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 0.3 cup flour all-purpose
• 1.3 cups granulated sugar divided
• 2.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
• 1 cup pumpkin puree 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 8 ounce cup heavy whipping cream sour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• wire rack
• hand mixer
• springform pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Combine cookie crumbs, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and next 2 ingredients in a medium bowl. Press mixture into bottom and about 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
3. Bake 15 minutes or until browned around edges.
4. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sour cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar; beat at medium speed about 5 minutes or until mixture is smooth and sugars have dissolved.
6. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla.
7. Whisk together flour and next 2 ingredients in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.
8. Bake at 300 for 45 minutes. Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand in oven with door closed 2 hours.
9. Remove cheesecake from oven, and cool on a wire rack. Chill 8 hours or overnight. Gently run a knife around outer edge of cake to loosen.
10. Remove sides of pan, and place cheesecake on a serving plate.
11. Garnish, if desired.