The Story of a (Birthday) Cheesecake

My husband's birthday is on Halloween...and this year not only did that day fall on a Tuesday but also during his camping trip into the Boundary Waters. Oh he also got stranded there on his birthday this year due to crappy weather so...we're celebrating tonight!

We had planned to have a dinner party anyway and thought we'd combine his birthday into this.

I'm currently roasting a turkey in the oven and for as little as I like to touch (or even look or think about) raw meat, I got it into the oven with little drama. Sometimes there is a lot of drama! We're also having the usual "Thanksgiving" fixings - mashed (whipped! with the new KitchenAid Mixer!) potatoes, green bean casserole, glazed carrots, dinner rolls and for dessert - pumpkin cheesecake!

I made this cheesecake last year for Steve upon request. It was my first cheesecake ever and I was nervous but it turned out really well. This year when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted he said "pumpkin cheesecake." Much to my delight....after I asked him if he was sure since we did have it last year he said "Oh yeah, that was good. Where'd we get that from?"

*crickets*

As if I would BUY him a cheesecake!

After giving him a little grief about it I whole heartedly agreed to bake him another one.

Here is the receipe I use:


Pumpkin Cheesecake
(from VeryBestBaking

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C butter or margarine, melted
1/4 C granulated sugar
3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softended
1 C granulated sugar
1/4 C packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 can (15oz) pumpkin
2/3 C evaporated milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
16 oz sour cream, at room temperature
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
(it also gave me ANOTHER good reason to bust out that mixer)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

For Crust
Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes

For Cheesecake
Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.


Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

For Topping
Combine sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extrace in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.

Obviously this is not a low-fat recipe! But it's oooooh so good.

Enjoy!