Pumpkin Cheesecake with Walnut Crust

     Pumpkin Cheesecake!  There is something about this time of year that just makes me want stuff made with pumpkin.  I used to make pumpkin rolls every year to bring to work for food days.  Then, there is pumpkin bread, that I converted to gluten free.  Pumpkin spice coffee, you make my heart sing.  Pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes.  Pumpkin pie!  I love pumpkin pie.  I also love cheesecake.  
     My sister used to make this pumpkin layer cheesecake stuff.  She probably still makes it, I just don't remember it because she doesn't make it gluten free.  
  I was plowing through the pumpkin pie recipes on all recipes.com and then started thinking about cheesecake and then thought of my sister's layer pumpkin cheesecake.  Then I found a pumpkin cheesecake.  Not a layer cheesecake with pumpkin pie stuff on top of it.  This was a pumpkin cheesecake.  
     This one had a strange sour cream layer on the top.  Not sure I really want to go that direction.  I'll just take a dollop of whipped cream instead.  Maybe cinnamon whipped cream, or cinnamon cream cheese whipped cream.
  So, I set out to create my pumpkin cheesecake.  It's a compilation of several different recipes.  You know I can't leave anything alone!


Walnut Crust
1 1/2 cups walnuts
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons white sugar or splenda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place the walnuts in the bowl of food processor and pulse until they are ground in to very small pieces.  Add the butter, sugar/splenda and cinnamon and pulse until all combined.  Should look like this:

Press this into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Although if you want to use this crust for something like a cream pie, or French Silk, you could use a pie plate.  Since I'm making a cheesecake I'm putting it into the bottom of my springform pan.  Be sure and press it down with your fingers or use a silicone spatula sprayed with a little canola oil.  

Pop this baby in the oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.  


The beauty of this crust, other than the fact that it's totally gluten free, is that you can use any kind of nuts you want.  I've made it with almonds, pecans, and walnuts.  I'm thinking that it will be spectacular with macadamia nuts in a French Silk pie.  Can you tell that I've been thinking about making another French Silk Pie?  Oh, and be absolutely sure to use real butter and be sure that it's unsalted butter.  
     Okay, so now onto the pumpkin cheesecake.  You'll need the following items in this order:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese at room temp.
1 cup granulated sugar or splenda
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar or the splenda blend
1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning (I added this because I felt like it needed something more and I didn't feel like cinnamon was the answer)
2 large eggs slightly beaten


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Now, take the springform pan that has your crust in it and wrap the bottom of it in heavy duty aluminum foil.  Get another pan, I used a 12 inch oven proof skillet, and place the aluminum foil wrapped springform pan inside it.  Then, fill the outer pan with water so that it comes about 2 inches up the side of the springform pan.  This is to create a "water bath" for the cheesecake.  This will keep it from cracking down the middle.
     In your mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar/splenda, and brown sugar until fluffy.  
     Add pumpkin and evaporated milk and beat until fully combined, then add the cornstarch and spices beating until combined.  


If you have a paddle for your mixer put that on.  If not that's okay.  Add the slightly beaten eggs to the mix.  Be very careful to not over beat them or your cheesecake will be dry and crumbly.  Mix the eggs just until everything is combined.  
     Next, pour it into the springform pan and place in the preheated oven for 55 minutes. As soon as the 55 minutes have passed turn off the oven.  Do not remove the cheesecake.  You can look at it, but do not move it.  Leave that bad boy where it's at.  Let it sit there until the oven is completely cooled off.  I'm serious!  Leave it there for about 3 hours.  Then, take it out, take the foil off and put it in the refrigerator.  Cheesecake is best if it's left alone for about 24 hours. 

     Here is what it looked like when I took it out of the oven after the cooling period.  See what I mean about the water bath.  Just make sure you use the extra wide aluminum foil so that water doesn't get into the bottom of the spring form pan.  

Look at how light and fluffy that turned out!  I can't wait to try it.  

     Be sure to run a knife around the edge of the pan before removing the spring form.  
     For the topping I'm going to make Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting with a hint of cinnamon.
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese room temp.
1 cup white sugar (I'm going to use splenda)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream.


Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form, set aside.
In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth.  
Fold in whipped cream.


     You can omit the cinnamon depending on what you're going to use it for.  It think the cinnamon will be awesome with the pumpkin cheesecake.  I have used this frosting for carrot cake and I can say it's really REALLY good.!