Crust:
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
Pumpkin Mixture:
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup water
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2-1/2 cups canned or cooked pumpkin
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
For Crust:
Combine pecans, graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325°F for 10 minutes. Let cool.
For pumpkin mixture:
Soften gelatin in water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and sugar, mix at medium speed until well blended. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and pumpkin; mix at medium speed until blended. Gradually add gelatin to cream cheese mixture and mix until blended. Chill cream cheese mixture until slightly thickened, approximately 20 minutes. Fold in whipped cream; pour over crust. Chill until firm.
Makes 12 servings.
Decorating Suggestion: “Spider Web”
For spider web:
Use cake decorating piping gel to draw concentric circles on surface of cheesecake. Take paring knife and draw lines from center of cheesecake outward (as if drawing spokes of a wheel). The gel will drag slightly, creating an illusion of movement.
For spiders:
Using pecan halves as spider bodies, attach small pieces of black or red licorice as legs. Place on top of cheesecake.