Paula Deen's pumpkin cheesecake

Whipped cream ghost added for spooky seasonal  topping

A quick redress for Thanksgiving

Crust
Graham crackers, finely crushed	1 ¾ cups
Brown sugar, light	3 tablespoons
Cinnamon, ground	½ teaspoon
Butter, salted, melted	8 tablespoons (1 stick)
Filling
Cream cheese, room temperature	3 packages (32 ounces)
Pumpkin, pureed	15 ounces
Eggs	3 + 1 yoke
Sour cream	¼ cup
Sugar	1 ½ cups
Cinnamon, ground	½ teaspoon
Nutmeg, freshly ground	1/8 teaspoon
Cloves, ground	1/8 teaspoon
Flour, all-purpose	2 tablespoons
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon.
3. Add melted butter.
4. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
5. Beat cream cheese until smooth.
6. Add pumpkin puree, eggs and yolk, sour cream, sugar, and spices.
7. Add flour and vanilla, beating together until well combined.
8. Pour into crust; spread evenly, and place in oven for 1 hour.
9. Turn off oven, open door, and let sit for 30 minutes.
10. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 hours.

For topping, using an electric mixer to beat 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until it is fluffy. For ghost, scoop the mixture into a pastry bag, and have fun!

Time: 4 hours and 15 minutes (15 minutes preparation time)

Serves: 8

Based on recipe from the FoodNetwork.com.