Pumpkin Cheesecake, Anyone?

For Thanksgiving, my Mother-In-Law made pumpkin cheesecake.  What's more- the crust was made of gingersnaps and pecans.  Da.
I snatched the recipe when she wasn't looking (lie) and promised (her) I would give it back the next time I saw her.  Well here she is this weekend, and tis time for me to part.  I'll share it with you.  With her permission.  Even though it is a recipe from Food and Family magazine.  (2006)


25 Gingersnaps, crushed (about a cup and a half)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
4 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
3 tbs flour*
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves


Preheat oven to 325*F (or 300 if using a dark pan).  Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9 in springform pan.


Beat cream cheese, flour, 3/4 cup of sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until well blended. 


Remove 1 1/2 cups plain batter; place in small bowl.  Stir remaining 1/4 sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.  Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half of the reserved plain batter.  Repeat laters.  Cut through batters with knife several times for swirl effect. 


Bake 55 min or until center is almost set.  Cool completely.  Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.  Cut into 16 slices.  Store leftover cheesecake inrefrigerator.


(You can also bake this cheesecake in a 9x13 baking dish.  Line the dish with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan.  Prepare as directed, decreasing baking time to 45 min, or until center is almost set.)


*Recipe didn't call for flour, but MIL and I both think it would be a good decision for a sturdier cheesecake.


note: this is not fat free vegan  (ha. ha. ha.)