Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake

Do you have one holiday dessert that you come back to year after year? Something that always tastes fantastic and fresh, no matter how many times you make it? Something that won you a place in the heart of your in-laws? Well this is my *one* dessert.

How did I end up with my *one*? Well, let’s flash back to 2007. I was working a job with long hours a long way away from home. So I wasn’t doing much cooking. Actually I was doing NO cooking. It was all I could do to get home awake at night. But I had discovered that I could live vicariously through the interwebs, and these things called blogs. And one blog, in particular, had stolen my heart and was providing me with all sorts of food fulfillment–smitten kitchen. I’m not sure how I first stumbled onto Deb’s site, but I was in love. Big time.

So when Thanksgiving came that year and I actually (amazingly) had a few days off work, I decided to make one recipe off of Deb’s site that had really caught my eye–candy corn for grown ups–aka pumpkin bourbon cheesecake. The recipe seemed like more than I could handle (oh how times have changed), but when I shared it with Noel he was excited, and then I was excited. I made the recipe and took it to Thanksgiving dinner–and it was a hit! And my journey down the blog fueled baking rabbit hole had begun!

Fast forward to this year–2 years and approximately 6 cheesecakes later. I was not on pumpkin dessert duty for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, but I had a NEED to make the cheesecake. Yes, I could just wait until Christmas and make it then. But sometimes you have to follow your inner calling. Mine was calling me to cheesecake, so we hosted an urban family thanksgiving dinner where my *one* could take center stage.

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
Adapted from Gourmet, via Smitten Kitchen

How to describe my *one*? Well, it’s lighter than your average cheesecake–it’s fluffier and smoother on your tongue. It has just enough pumpkin and fall spices to put you in the festive holiday spirit, but not so much that it overwhelms the cheesecake. Although the recipe might seem a bit daunting, it’s really not that hard as long as you have a stand mixer and room temperature cream cheese. A food processor helps, but is not required. Bring this to your next family holiday event and they will love you forever.

Ingredients:

For crust

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (from five 4 3/4- by 2 1/4-inch crackers)
• 1/2 cup pecans (1 3/4 ounces), finely chopped
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For filling

• 1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

For topping

• 2 cups sour cream (20 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional)

Garnish: pecan halves

Directions:

Make crust:
Invert bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (to create flat bottom, which will make it easier to remove cake from pan), then lock on side and butter pan.

Stir together crumbs, pecans, sugars, and butter in a bowl until combined well. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan, then chill crust, 1 hour.

Make filling and bake cheesecake:
Put oven rack in middle position and Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl until combined.

Stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl. Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour filling into crust, smoothing top, then put springform pan in a shallow baking pan (in case springform leaks). Bake until center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes (it always takes 65 in my oven). Transfer to rack and cool 5 minutes. (Leave oven on.)

Make topping:
Whisk together sour cream, sugar, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl, then spread on top of cheesecake and bake 5 minutes.

Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 3 hours.

Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours. Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving.

The cooks’ notes say this can be stored in your fridge for up to two days after baking. But see if it lasts that long–this is what we ended up with, after just one night of urban family feasting:

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