LAYERED PUMPKIN PIE CHEESECAKE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

Layered Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust image

Time 9h

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 3/4 cup gingersnap crumbs (about 30 small cookies)
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup ground pecans
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup toffee bits
1 15-oz can pumpkin
3/4 cup whipping cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning
1/8 teaspoon salt
cool whip or sweetened whipped cream for topping

Steps:

To make the crust, use a food processor to crush the gingersnaps, then crush the pecans. Combine gingersnaps, pecans, brown sugar and butter in a bowl and stir well. Evenly spread and press onto the bottom and up the sides (about 1 inch up) of a 9 inch spring form pan. Heat oven to 300 degrees. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in 2 of the eggs, then stir in the toffee bits and carefully spread over crust. Clean out your bowl, or get a new one to make the pumpkin pie layer. Mix pumpkin, whipping cream, 2/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie seasoning, salt and 3 remaining eggs just until blended. Very carefully spoon pumpkin mixture over the cheesecake layer. Bake for 2 hours or until edge of the cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from the edge of the pan, but center still jiggles when moved. At that point, turn oven off and open the oven door at least 4 inches and leave the cheesecake in for 30 minutes. Run a spatula around the edge of pan and cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, carefully remove side of pan, running spatula along the edge if needed. Serve with whipped topping or whipped cream and a sprinkle of toffee bits or chopped pecans.