white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake

and now, for some pumpkin cheesecake, as promised...

thanksgiving may be over, but christmas is just around the corner and this recipe is perfect to get you in the holiday spirit. it's like one giant slice of cheer.

white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake

ingredients:

• 4 8-oz. packages light cream cheese, softened
• 1 15-oz. can pumpkin 
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• pinch of cloves
• pinch of cardamom
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 
  

graham cracker crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

preheat oven to 350 F. prepare spring form pan by spraying with cooking spray. start by preparing the crust. in a small bowl, mix the graham cracker, melted butter, and sugar. once combined, transfer to the springform pan and form into a crust by smoothing it out with your hands. press the crust about one inch up the side of the pan. bake in the oven for 12 minutes, until golden brown. remove from heat and let cool.

while the crust is cooling, beat together the cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer. once creamy, add the pumpkin and continue to beat until combined. next, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well with each egg. add the bourbon, vanilla extract, and melted white chocolate. fully mix. finish by adding all the spices, salt, and flour [and then mix, of course]. pour the batter slowly on top of the prepared crust. bake in the oven at 350 F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. when you take it out of the oven, it should still be a little jiggly in the middle. let cool for one hour and then transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight, or for 8 hours.

to add  the white chocolate glaze, melt 1 cup of white chocolate chips with 2 tbsp. of cream. microwave in 20 second increments, mixing between each. once melted pour over the whole cheesecake, or each individual piece as pictured.

enjoy! :)