Candied Pumpkin-Topped Cheesecake

Name: Candied Pumpkin-Topped Cheesecake
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 395 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 40 NILLA Wafers, finely crushed (about 1-1/3 cups); ¼ cup butter, melted; 4 pkg. brick cream cheese, softened; ¾ cup sugar; 1 cup sour cream; 1 tsp. Mexican cinnamon (canela); ½ tsp. ground cloves; 4 eggs; 1 tsp. whole cloves (about 15); 1 tsp. anise seed; 2 cups water; 8 small piloncillo (Mexican brown loaf sugar), coarsely chopped; 2 cinnamon sticks; 3 cups pumpkin (about 1/2-inch pieces)

Celebrate big this holiday season with one of our favorite cheesecakes. This New York style cinnamon spiced cheesecake is topped with candied fresh pumpkin.

Prep time:

0 min

Total time:

0 h 0 min

Servings:

Makes 16 servings.

Ingredient list

40 NILLA Wafers, finely crushed (about 1-1/3 cups)
¼ cup butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) brick cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. ground Mexican cinnamon (canela)
½ tsp. ground cloves
4 eggs
1 tsp. whole cloves (about 15)
1 tsp. anise seed
2 cups water
8 small cones (1 oz. each) piloncillo (Mexican brown loaf sugar), coarsely chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cups chopped fresh pumpkin (about 1/2-inch pieces)

Directions

Heat oven to 325ºF.

Mix wafer crumbs and butter until well blended; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream, ground cinnamon and ground cloves; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Meanwhile, place whole cloves and anise seed in 5-inch-square piece of cheesecloth; tie closed with kitchen string. Place in medium saucepan. Add water, piloncillo and cinnamon sticks; bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 40 min., stirring occasionally. Remove and discard cheesecloth pouch. Add pumpkin to water remaining in saucepan; simmer 20 min. or until pumpkin is tender and coated with syrup, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.

Remove cinnamon sticks from pumpkin mixture just before serving; spoon pumpkin mixture over cheesecake. Garnish with cinnamon sticks.