For us Southern girls, the holiday season always brings up two topics: food and tradition. When I married into the Fraiser family, I inherited a lot of traditions, along with bringing some of my own, like my mother’s Whiskey Ball cookies. But for my husband David’s family you can always count on finding Pumpkin Cheesecake at the Thanksgiving table.
This is truly a heavenly dessert, and it’s actually pretty simple to make. (I have to admit that no one’s sure where the recipe originated. It may have even come off the back of a can of pumpkin!) This year it’s our turn to spend Thanksgiving with my family, and one of my contributions will definitely be Pumpkin Cheesecake. I’m sure it will become a Jackson family favorite as well.
Enjoy, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
2 packages of cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2 eggs
½ cup canned pumpkin
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
½ cup whipped topping
Graham cracker crust (My mother in law usually makes her own with graham cracker crumbs and butter, but the pre-made crusts are tasty too.)
Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended, but do not over beat after adding eggs. Remove 1 cup batter and stir in pumpkin and spices.
If you’re not using a pre-made crust, spray a 9-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray and spread graham cracker crust in pan and along sides.
Pour reserved batter into crust first, and then top with pumpkin batter.
Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Top each serving with whipped topping.
