A fun take on pumpkin cheesecake made with a splash of Amaretto.
Makes one 8” or 10.5” cake
Crust
1 ¼ cup finely ground Italian amaretti biscuits* or graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
2 tbsp granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the crumbs, butter and sugar in a medium bowl and mix well. Pat into the bottom of an 8” springform pan (if you prefer a thicker cheesecake) or a 10.5” springform pan (if you prefer a thinner cheesecake). Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce the heat to 350°F.
Filling
12 oz (375 g) regular cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
3 eggs
2 tbsp Amaretto or Frangelico liqueur
On medium speed, beat the cream cheese in a mixer until soft. Add the brown sugar and cream until light. Beat in the pumpkin puree and the spices. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the liqueur. Pour over the prepared crust and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes. Remove from oven. With the tip of a sharp knife, run the knife around the edge of the cake, about 1/2” deep to loosen the cake from the pan and prevent cracking. Cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, increase oven temperature to 450°F.
Topping
1 cup regular sour cream or 2% plain yogurt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Amaretto or Frangelico liqueur
¼ tsp almond extract
In a small bowl, whisk together all the topping ingredients. Spread over the top of the slightly cooled cheesecake. Bake at 450°F for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature and then chill for several hours.
Before serving, top the cake with about ½ a cup of toasted pumpkin seeds.
*available in a specialty food store.
