Pumpkin Spice & White Chocolate Cheesecake

Yay!  I am finally making progress on actually making some of the food I have pinned on Pinterest!  I love fall! It kind of makes me miss St. Louis where there are billions of trees with so many beautiful colors. Utah is pretty too with the colorful leaves up in the mountains, but nothing like driving through my childhood neighborhood in good ole STL! So fall has gotten me in the mood for fall foods like squash and PUMPKIN! I haven't made too many cheesecakes but the ones I have made have made have been a little dry because I cook it too long but this time I cooked it exactly as the recipe said and OMG I might just beat my mom in a cheesecake competition (she makes the best!).  K so here is the recipe!

(before sour cream topping. See the swirl!?)

INGREDIENTS

Crust
14 chocolate sandwich cookies

White Chocolate Cheesecake
2 8oz pkg cream cheese (room temp)
6 Tbsp sugar
2 large eggs
6 ounces white chocolate

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake
2 8oz pkg cream cheese (room temp)
6 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs

Topping
2 c sour cream
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Garnish
2 ounces white chocolate


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Base
In a food processor or blender, blend cookies into crumbs.  Empty into the bottom of a 10-in spring-form pan.  Spread and firmly press crumbs down.

3. White Chocolate Cheesecake
Melt white chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Mix cream cheese and sugar in a medium sized bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth.  Add eggs and melted white chocolate and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

4. Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake
Mix cream cheese and sugar in a medium sized bowl with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and eggs and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

5. Pour large dollops of alternating batters side-by-side, in one layer and again for a second layer. Used a knife to swirl layers together.

6. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 35 minutes.

7. Topping
While the cake is baking, mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. When timer goes off remove cake from oven and let it set for at least 5 minutes. Pour sour cream mixture on top of cake and cook cake for another 10 minutes.

8. Let cake cool to room temperature on a wire rack. When completely cooled, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (best if over night).

9. Before serving, add white chocolate shavings to the top of the cake by shaving off chocolate curls from white chocolate bar using a peeler. (Chocolate peels better if slightly warmed by hand or in the microwave for 5 seconds.)

10. Cut each slice using a sharp long knife.  Be sure to wipe the blade clean with a paper towel between each cut.

Yield: 12 slices
–Melanie