Ultra-Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake With A Hint Of Brandy

• Crumb Crust
• 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pumpkin Filling
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 (15 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• Topping
• whipped cream
• 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted
• 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350u0b0F
2. Coat 9" springform pan with cooking spray.
3. Crumb Crust:.
4. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Mix to moisten crumbs, then press into prepared pan - bottom and 2-inches up the sides. Bake 10-12 minutes until slightly darkened.
5. Pumpkin Filling:.
6. With a wire whisk or electric mixer on low speed, beat cottage cheese until smooth. Add cream cheese, brown sugar, eggs (one at a time until smooth), and flour; continue beating until smooth.
7. Add pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, brandy, nutmeg and cloves; beat until smooth. COOK'S TIP: DO NOT OVERBEAT! If there is too much air in the batter, it will pouf up like a souffle while baking then drop into an unappetizing mess.
8. Pour the batter into the baked graham cracker crust.
9. Bake the cheesecake 1 1/2 hours on a baking sheet, or until top is firm and cake is beginning to pull away from sides of pan.
10. Cool cheesecake to room temperature on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 hours before unmolding and serving. COOK'S TIP: Chilling overnight is best.
11. Just before serving, decorate each slice with a daub of whip cream, chopped pecans and ginger.

crust, graham cracker crumbs, unsalted butter, sugar, salt, filling, cottage cheese, cream cheese, brown sugar, eggs, flour, solidpack pumpkin, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, brandy, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, topping, whipped cream, pecan halves, ginger

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/ultra-creamy-pumpkin-cheesecake-with-a-hint-of-brandy-333834 (may not work)