Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Crust

• 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 8 whole crackers)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 9-inch springform pan

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Break crackers into smaller pieces and place in a food processor. Process to form fine crumbs. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Stir until the crumbs are moistened and press the mixture with your fingers onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and set it aside to cool completely.

Filling

• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• ½ teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the softened cream cheese and sugar at medium speed just until they are blended. Add the flour and mix briefly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until they are mixed, and stir in vanilla.

Pour all but ½ cup of the filling into the springform pan and set the pan aside. To the remaining filling, add the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, beating with an electric mixer just until it is smooth. Spoon dollops of the pumpkin mixture onto the filling and gently swirl it through the filling, taking care not to scrape the bottom crust.

Reduce the oven to 300 degrees, place the cheesecake on the middle rack, and bake 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 minutes until the center is almost set. If the cheesecake begins to crack, lower the temperature to 275 degrees. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, set it on a wire rack 1 hour to cool, then run a sharp knife around the edges. Release the outer band of the springform pan and remove it. Chill the cheesecake 1 to 2 hours, then slide a metal spatula under the crust and transfer the cheesecake to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil and chill several hours or overnight. Cheesecake may be made 1 to 2 days ahead.

Yield: 9-inch cheesecake