Categories: Pie- Cobbler- Cheesecake- tarts

Ingredients

• Crust
• 1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Filling:
• 1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Crème Fraiche:
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup solid-pack pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1/2 cup crème fraiche (see recipe for homemade or use store-bought) or sour cream
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Crème Fraiche:
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream with live cultures

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and 8 or 8 1/2 inch springform pan.

2. To make crust: Stir together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until the crumbs are moistened. Press the mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

3. To make crème fraiche:

4. To make the filling: With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large deep bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and then the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and pumpkin pie spice and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the pumpkin puree, crème fraiche and vanilla, and beat until just combined. Pour the filling into the shell.

5. Place the cheesecake on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees and continue baking for 1 hour.

6. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool in the oven 2 1/2 hours. Then 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 up to 2 days.

7. To serve, run a knife around the side of the cheesecake and remove the side of the pan. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature, cut into thin wedges with a sharp knife dipped into hot water and wiped dry after each cut.

8. To make crème fraiche:

9. Pour the cream into a glass jar with a tightly fitting lid and spoon in the crème fraiche. Let sit on the counter, with the lid slightly ajar, until the mixture thickens, from 4 to 24 hours, depending on the weather. Refrigerate, tightly covered, until ready to use.

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