Happy Turkey Lurkey Day!

Thanksgiving was yesterday for us here in Japan, but for those of you at home in the States---Happy Thanksgiving! Kev and I had a Thanksgiving dinner at his coworker's house. I was tasked to bring a side dish and a dessert so I made a pumpkin cheesecake that turned out to be a big hit! I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake, but for some reason, I did like this one. Perhaps the pumpkin makes it less rich or something. Anyway, here's the recipe, courtesy of Food Network.

And let me admit it now, I did not make my own crust. I didn't have the time, so I used a store-bought pie crust..... I also used my huge Kitchenaid Stand Mixer which helps with the cream cheese. :)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients
Crust:
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Now if only I could find a way to get rid of all these leftover slices....And don't say to eat them because it will defeat the purpose of me going to the gym!!!

Happy Turkey Day everyone!

~Chrissy