Pumpkin Hazelnut Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 24 gingersnaps
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 16 ounces pumpkin puree
• 5 eggs
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup frangelico liqueur
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 1/8 teaspoon clove, ground
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup frangelico
• 10 whole hazelnuts

Recipe

• 1 combine ginger snaps and sugar in food processor and process until fine.
• 2 with machine running, add melted butter and process until crumbly.
• 3 pat into bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan.
• 4 freeze for 20 minutes.
• 5 in food processor or by hand, beat cream cheese, pumpkin, eggs, sugar, 1/2 cup frangelico, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla until completely smooth.
• 6 pour into prepared crust and bake at 350f for 45 minutes.
• 7 meanwhile, whisk together the sour cream, confectioners sugar and frangelico for topping.
• 8 carefully pour over top of hot cake, smoothing with a spatula.
• 9 bake for 10-15 minutes longer or until edges begin to bubble.
• 10 remove from oven, cool completely and refrigerate overnight.
• 11 to serve, run a small knife around the edge of the cake and then release the spring form.
• 12 transfer to serving platter.
• 13 decorate with whipped cream and whole hazelnuts.
• 14 leave cake at room temperature for 45 minutes before serving to improve flavor.