Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake

serves: 6-10
preheat oven: 350
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes, put in fridge overnight
items you'll need: ideally a spring form pan (but a regular pie pan will work), electric mixer, big bowl, and a medium bowl

crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional but adds some good texture to crust)
1/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp butter (melted)
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, nuts, sugar and nutmeg into a medium bowl
2. Stir in butter with a fork until crumbly
3. Press crumb mixture onto the bottom and half way up the sides of either the spring form pan or pie tin

filling:
3 pkg's (8oz ea) cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
cool whip

1. Beat cream cheese and both sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition
3. Add remaining ingredients, except cool whip and beat until smooth
4. Pour into crust
5. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes OR until lightly brown.
6. Remove from oven
7. Cool completely
8. Cover and refrigerate over night