GINGERSNAP CRUST CHEESECAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch spring form pan. Cover outside of pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Stir together all crust ingredients until crumbs are moistened. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Make filling: With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and yolks one at a time. Add pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla; beat well. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour and pumpkin-pie spice just until combined. Pour filling into baked shell.
• Place cheesecake into a large roasting pan; fill pan with 2 inches of hot water. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until cheesecake is set around edges but still slightly jiggly when lightly shaken (cheesecake will firm as it cools). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, tightly covered, for at least 10 hours, until thoroughly chilled and set, or for up to 2 days.

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
• Mix the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, butter and salt together in a medium bowl until well blended. Press the mixture into the pie plate. Bake until set and the crust feels firm, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• To make the cheesecake filling: In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar and salt, mixing at low speed until the mixture is smooth with no lumps, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and eggs.
• Add the filling to the crust, smooth the top, and chill in the freezer until the filling is sturdy and set up, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• For the sweet potato topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Whisk in the sweet potatoes, half and half, butter, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Pour slowly over the chilled cheesecake filling.
• Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake, covering the edges with foil if it browns too quickly, until set along the outside and the center still has a slight jiggle, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating until ready to serve.