recipe: gingersnap pumpkin cheesecake (t-day 1 of 4)

(pardon the crack... so embarrassing)

i usually make a pumpkin cheesecake for t-day from allrecipes.com, but this year the Food Republic's version, Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake caught my eye, as follows:


ingredients list:
crust:
- 1 & 1/2 cups gingersnap cookies, crushed
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped (the original recipe calls for pecans if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp butter, melted


filling:
- 3 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 & 1/3 cups canned pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon


to make: preheat the oven to 325 degrees. prepare spring form pan (i used parchment paper on the bottom & greased the sides). mix together the crushed gingersnaps, nuts, brown sugar, and 4 tbsp melted butter. press the mixture into the bottom of prepared spring form pan, and place into the fridge to set.


mix the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla with an electric mixer. slowly mix in the eggs one by one by hand, stirring just enough until incorporated. set aside 1 & 1/2 cups of the mixture for the topping. 


to the remaining filling, add the pumpkin, heavy whipping cream, and spices and stir until well combined. 


pour the 'white' filling into the prepared crust, spooning it over the crust gently until it is fully covered. pour the pumpkin filling over the top, then bake for about an hour & 10 minutes (adding a waterbath if desired), until the top starts to brown and the center us juuust jiggly. 


allow to cool in the oven with the door open for about an hour before letting cool completely (1-2 hours) on top of a wire rack. finally, refrigerate for at least 5 hours, ideally overnight.
~~~
verdict: really liked it. i thought it would be very sweet, but it was pretty mild and light overall... lil pumpkin flavor, lil gingersnap & hazelnut, lil cream cheesy tang. not as dense/heavy as my last cheesecake which was good after a day of heavy eats. kyle review was also up there. only thing that sucks is that i got an equater-sized crack in it even after using the water bath, separating the springform ring from the cake post-baking, gently stirring eggs... baaah that's frustrating. presentation: fail; taste: seven *******.