Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Prep: 25 min. plus refrigeration
Bake: 55 min.

2 C finely crushed ginger snaps
½ C finely chopped pecans
6 T butter or margarine (melted)
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream cheese (softened)
1 C. sugar, divided
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 C. canned pumpkin
1 t. ground cinnamon
¼ t. ground nutmeg
dash ground cloves

Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan. Beat cream cheese, ¾ C of the sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Reserve 1-1/2 C. of the plain batter. Stir remaining ¼ C. sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon 1/2 of the pumpkin batter over crust, top with spoonfuls of ½ of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake at 325 degrees for 55 min. or until center is almost set if using a silver springform pan. (Or, bake at 300 degrees for dark nonstick springform pan.) Loosen cake from side of pan; cool before removing rim of pan.

Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

Carolyn Sheehy
Clare and Lucy Oesterle Director of Library Services