Pumpkin Molasses Cheesecake

Pumpkin Molasses Cheesecake

We love molasses in the South. One of my favorite things I loved to eat as a little boy was grits and molasses, and biscuits with a hole poked in the middle and molasses poured in the hole. As a matter of fact I still love it to this day. Now here's a molasses-lover's recipe for pumpkin molasses cheesecake. Hmmm, hmmm. Need I say more? Hey, its almost Thanksgiving - give her a try!

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages light cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• Maple syrup (optional)

Preheat oven to 325F. To prepare the crust, combine crumbs, pecans, sugar and butter in a large bowl. Press evenly on bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

To prepare the filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and molasses; beat until evenly blended. Beat in pumpkin and cream. Pour into crust. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake 50 minutes or until nearly set. Turn oven off and leave cake in oven with door closed 1 hour.

Remove from oven and run a knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.

To serve, remove springform side. Drizzle with maple syrup if desired. Serves 14.