I made some YUMMY pumpkin cheesecake the other day. It was really, really good. And really, really rich.

The recipe originally came from here. I made it just as the recipe specified, except I substituted pineapple juice in place of the rum.
I also decorated it a bit with some cream cheese icing. Because I got cake decorating tips for Christmas. And because I wanted to. You don’t have to though. That part is strictly optional.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

3/4 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tbsp. butter, melted
4 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 c. sugar, divided
5 eggs
1/4 c. unsifted flour
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
2 tsp. or more pumpkin pie spice, to taste
2 tbsp. pineapple juice
2 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with cinnamon and brown sugar, then stir in melted butter. Press mixture in bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, preferably with electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Stir in 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, sprinkle flour over mixture and beat. Thoroughly mix in pumpkin, then spice and pineapple juice. Pour into the springform pan.

Bake in preheated 325 degree oven 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let cake stand in oven another 30 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let cool until it is warm but not hot to the touch. Meanwhile, mix together sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla. Spread smoothly over top of cheesecake. Return to 425 degree oven and bake 10 minutes. Cool in refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.

I ended up with too much batter for the 9″ pan. The original recipe said I might. So I added some flour, baking powder, and chocolate chips to the remaining batter and cooked them on a baking sheet as cookies. Then I frosted them with cream cheese icing. I had enough batter left to make a dozen good sized cookies.

Also I might add a bit more pumpkin pie spice next time. I only did the 2 tsp., and although the batter tasted fine, the finished cheesecake could have used a bit more emphasis on the pumpkin pie. Still good though. Still really, really good.

Did I mention that this cheesecake was really rich? And really yummy?
You’ll want to invite some friends over to eat this with you. They’ll love you if you do.