Zooma's Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups ground amaretto cookies
• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1 1/4 cups toasted walnuts, crushed and divided
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (one stick)
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup sour cream
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 ounces sugar
• 4 ounces water
• 1 1/2 ounces butter
• 7 ounces heavy cream

Recipe

• 1 crust.
• 2 position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• 3 wrap outside of spring-form pan with heavy duty foil to prevent leaking.
• 4 combine cookies, graham crackers, 1 cup of walnuts and brown sugar in food processor.
• 5 reserve remaining walnuts for topping of cake.
• 6 slowly add butter and pulse the processor until crumbs begin to stick together.
• 7 press crumbs into the bottom, not sides of pan.
• 8 filling.
• 9 using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy.
• 10 transfer 3/4 cup of the mixture to small bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate for topping.
• 11 beat in eggs one at a time.
• 12 add pumpkin and remaining seven ingredients.
• 13 beat until just blended.
• 14 pour filling into prepared crust.
• 15 place spring-form pan in large roasting pan.
• 16 add enough water to come halfway up sides of spring-form pan.
• 17 bake until slightly puffed and softly set and top is golden, about 1 1/2 hours.
• 18 transfer pan to rack and cool.
• 19 refrigerate cake overnight, or if needed that day it can be placed in freezer for 6 hours.
• 20 topping.
• 21 bring remaining 3/4 cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature.
• 22 add sour cream, heavy cream and cinnamon to cream cheese misture and stir to combine.
• 23 remove cheesecake from refrigerator.
• 24 press down firmly on sides of cheesecake to even its thickness.
• 25 using a knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake; release pan sides.
• 26 spread topping mixture evenly over cheesecake.
• 27 caramel sauce.
• 28 cook sugar and water until sugar browns, stirring constantly.
• 29 remove from heat and blen in butter, then stir in cream immediately.
• 30 drizzle caramel sauce over cake and refrigerate until caramel sets, about 20 minutes.
• 31 remove from refrigerator and dust the edges of cheesecake with the reserved 1/4 cup of of toasted walnuts.
• 32 slice and serve.