Holiday Bites - Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

Holiday Bites Winner!

Dessert:  Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

This cheesecake is an original recipe created by Deb Reese Hall – a labor of love well worth the effort! This dessert is a huge hit and a delicious pumpkin pie alternative.

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

Get the recipe here!
Recipe:

PRALINE:
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar melts and mixture comes to boil; boil 1 minute without stirring. Mix in pecans. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet. Bake until sugar syrup bubbles vigorously, about 8 minutes. Cool praline completely. Break into pieces. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight.)

CRUST:
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 9 ounces)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Stir cookie crumbs and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Add butter; stir until crumbs are moistened. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up on sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 ¾ inch-high-sides. Double wrap outside of pan with heavy duty foil. Refrigerate.

FILLING:
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ cups canned solid pack pumpkin
1 ½ cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp ground cloves
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and cloves and beat until well blended. Add eggs, one at time, beating just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into crust. Place pan in roasting pan, then pour enough hot water into roasting pan to reach 1 inch up sides of foil-wrapped pan. Bake cheesecake approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, adding more water to roasting pan as needed. (Check after one hour for doneness.) Remove when slightly underdone and top with topping. Spread around top of cheesecake, leaving a 1” edge of pumpkin showing around the rim. Return to oven for 10 min. Cool in oven 1 hour with door ajar. Chill for 4 hours; then cover and chill overnight.

SOUR CREAM TOPPING:
¾ cup sour cream
4 tsp sugar
½ tsp vanilla

Mix all Sour Cream Topping ingredients together in a separate bowl and set aside. To serve, mound praline in the center of cheesecake.

Deb Reese Hall

A note on the praline topping if you have cheesecake left over: Before you store in the refrigerator, remove the praline topping off the cheesecake. This will keep the praline from becoming soggy in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake