Amy recently joined the Red Stick Spice staff, and we're a lot better for it. Amy is a talented home cook and an even more talented baker. And she's also our go-to girl for gift baskets. Many afternoons, you'll find Amy sitting on the floor assembling gift packages for our corporate accounts--come check out her creativity in action. While you're in store, talk with Amy about baking. She has great baking tips. Be sure to ask about her brownies (the stuff of legends) and this cheesecake...as if Thanksgiving weren't sinful enough.
Crust Ingredients:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted
Cheesecake Ingredients:
40 oz cream cheese, softened (5-8oz blocks)
4 eggs, room temp
2 cups sugar
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Puree
1⁄2 cup pumpkin puree (canned works well) with the following spices mixed in:
• 1⁄2 tsp Vietnamese Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Topping Ingredients:
2 cups butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp Pure Vanilla Puree
1 Tbl heavy cream
1 1⁄2 cups rough chopped pecans
Directions:
Mix all crust ingredients and form crust in a spring-form pan (9-10 inch)
Preheat oven to 315°F Whip cream cheese and sugar together in a stand mixer or with beaters until very creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly mixed (do not whip). Add vanilla and pumpkin puree that has been combined well with spices and stir on low until well blended. Pour batter into crust and bake for 1 hour at 315 degrees. Without opening oven, turn oven off and let cake remain in oven for 1 more hour. Remove cake from oven and let cool.
Mix all topping ingredients, except vanilla and cream, in a saucepan and cook until sugar dissolved, then boil for 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and cream. Pour over cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, run a knife around edge of springform pan, then carefully remove cake from pan.