Pecan Pie Pumpkin Cheesecake

This was 100% my pride and joy for the week. When I made this I was freaking out because as much as I don't want to admit there was a crack all across the middle. Alas, there's nothing a pecan design can't fix. I feel like sometimes I really should give myself more credit than I do. I was so worried about this cheesecake and I heard nothing but good things about it from my co-workers at our Thanksgiving potluck. It was seriously the bane of my existence... for the day. I kept going back and back and taking a small slice. I should've just started out with a mondo slice and maybe I would've been satisfied. Anyway, this definitely put me in the Thanksgiving mood. So I wanted to make sure I shared it in time with all of you so, you know, so you actually make it and eat it! Then I won't feel so bad about myself, especially since I skipped the gym for 3 days now and I ate this for lunch yesterday along with some sushi, chick-fil-a nugs, eastern NC pork bbq, potato salad, hashbrown casserole, mac and cheese, and 2 cookies. Eeeeek!

Pecan Pie Pumpkin Cheesecake

Yield ~16 servings

Crust

1 package of Graham crackers (about 10 crackers)

3 tablespoons butter

Pecan Pie filling

1 cup sugar

1 cup corn syrup 

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 eggs

1 cup pecans

1 tablespoon vanilla 

1/3 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake filling

2 packages of cream cheese (8 ounce each, room temp)

1 cup sugar

2 tbs flour

1 tbs vanilla

2/3 cup pumpkin

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put a water bath on the shelf below. (water bath means in a cake pan 9x11, for example, fill it half way with water, this keeps the cake from cracking) In a food processor crush the graham crackers, then pour the melted butter in to mix. Press the mixture into a 9" springform pan and bake for 10 minutes. In a bowl mix together all ingredients for pecan pie filling except pecans. Once crust is ready spread the pecans out, then pour the filling on top. In another bowl, mix together all the cheesecake ingredients except the eggs. Then add them in one by one mixing between each, but make sure you hand mix the eggs in. Pour the filling on top of the pecan pie filling. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then turn it down to 325 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes until center is just slightly jiggly.