P = Pumpkin

It's Autumn, the leaves are turning orange, the weather is freezing cold...ok, it's warmer here than some places, but 50 degrees has been and always will be really cold to me. We start preparing for the upcoming holidays by decorating and planning parties. Nothing says Autumn holiday parties like pumpkin anything; pumpkin carving, pumpkin decorations, pumpkin pie. Since I am a diehard cheesecake fan, we're going to celebrate the goodness that is pumpkin cheesecake. I've eaten it, but never made it before. I got this recipe, Pumpkin Cheesecake II, off of allrecipes.com. I'm going to try making it next week, hopefully it's as good as the reviews say it is! I'm sure that I'll make some changes as I make it, I always do. One of the reviewers added a sour cream topping from the Libby's Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe, that sounds really good!

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup ground pecans
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/8 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the melted butter or margarine and mix well. Firmly press mixture into one 9 inch springform pan.

Combine 3/4 cup of the white sugar, the pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, ground cinnamon, ground mace, ground ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar and mix well. Add the whole egg, remaining egg yolk and the whipping cream, beating well. Add cornstarch and vanilla and lemon flavorings, beat batter until smooth. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes. Do not overbake. Center may be soft but it will firm up when chilled. Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate.