The holidays are definitely coming and from here through New Year&8217;s I am going to give you recipes that hopefully will make your holidays yummier than ever. First let me confess that I am a sweet potato pie fan, not pumpkin. But since most people prefer pumpkin, many years ago I decided to go the pumpkin route but with a cheesecake instead of a pie.

The original of this recipe came from Southern Living but I have played with it over the years and made changes here and there. One very good thing about this cheesecake is that it can be made many days ahead and kept in the refrigerator, the flavor only improves and it frees you up to work on other dishes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup ginger snap cookies, crushed into crumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (I toast mine first)

1/4 butter, melted

Filling

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 16-ounce can pumpkin (not pie filling)

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 large eggs

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped finely

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan. Combine all crust ingredients and press into the bottom and up the sides about an inch. Cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour.

To make the filling, combine the two sugars, flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla extract, salt and pumpkin and set aside.

Beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the pumpkin mixture, and mix in well. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.

Pour into your prepared crust. Sprinkle the crystallized ginger over the top and swirl in with a knife, this will evenly distribute it and it won&8217;t all sink to the bottom.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until lightly golden and middle barely moves when you jiggle the pan. Cool completely before you remove the sides. Serve with a little whipped cream.

Christina Hall

can be reached at

christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com

.