PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE PIE

CRUST:

1½ cups lightly packed crushed shortbread cookies with pecans (about 16 cookies) (I used ginger cookies)

3 Tbs butter, melted

3 Tbs all-purpose flour

FILLING:

1 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbs all-purpose flour

8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

3 ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

3 large eggs

15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree

1 Tbs milk

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place rack in center of oven.

2. Prepare crust: Mix all crust ingredients together. Press crust onto bottom and sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and cool completely. Keep oven on.

3. Prepare filling: Beat sugar, flour and both packages cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth; reserve ½ cup. Add remaining ingredients except milk to cream cheese mixture. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly, until smooth. Pour into crust.

4. Make swirl design: Stir milk into reserved cream cheese mixture. Spoon over pumpkin mixture. Cut through cream cheese and pumpkin mixtures with knife in S-shaped curves in one continuous motion. Turn pie plate one fourth turn and repeat. Swirl to look like an autumn leaf if you’d like.

5. To bake: Cover edges of crust with pie crust covers or aluminum foil strips to prevent excessive browning. Remove foil the last 15 minutes of baking. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

Cooking Tips
*Try using gingersnaps in place of shortbread cookies.