Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 15-ounce cans pumpkin puree
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon or other whiskey
• 5 large eggs
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups brown sugar

Directions

1. For the crust, combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs in a food processor and pulse to chop and blend. Add the butter and egg yolk, then pulse again until the mixture comes together evenly. Pack it into the base of a 9" springform pan, then bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees F. Take it out of the oven and set it aside to cool. Drain off any visible liquid from the pumpkin purée. Spoon the pumpkin onto several layers of paper towels, cover it with more paper towels, and gently press with your hands to remove extra moisture.
2. Expect to use plenty of paper towels for this, though tea towels work too. Two 15-ounce cans of puréed pumpkin should give you a little more than 2 cups after draining; measure out exactly 2 cups of the thickened purée. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, grated nutmeg, and allspice. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the salt, pumpkin purée, vanilla, and bourbon. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
3. In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese with the brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and completely free of lumps; a mixer is helpful here. Slowly blend in the pumpkin mixture until everything is evenly combined. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
4. Set the springform pan with the baked crust in the center of 3 large sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. Bring the foil up around the outside of the pan and trim it as needed so it protects the pan from the water bath. A turkey roasting bag can also be used in place of the foil.
5. Put the foil-wrapped pan inside a large roasting pan with space around it. Pour the pumpkin cream cheese filling into the springform pan.
6. Transfer the roasting pan with the cheesecake to the middle rack of a 325 degrees F oven. Carefully add boiling water to the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the springform pan.
7. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the oven off, leave the door propped open, and let the cheesecake rest inside for another hour as it cools gradually. Remove it from the oven and let it come to room temperature. When it has cooled, refrigerate it for several hours, preferably overnight.
8. When you are ready to serve, carefully release the cheesecake from the springform pan. For the cleanest release, run a blunt knife around the edge of the cake, then warm the outside of the pan with a hair dryer before unlocking the springform and lifting away the sides. Serve cheesecake with caramel sauce, candied pecans, and whipped cream.