Smart Cookie's Spiderweb Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 48 gingersnaps cookies
• 0.5 cups pecan pieces
• 0.5 cups salted butter , melted

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray and wrap the outside with foil.

2. 2

   Pulse gingersnap cookies into fine crumbs in a food processor. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Pulse pecans in the same food processor bowl until finely ground. Add to the cookie mixture and mix in melted butter.

3. 3

   Press the cookie and pecan mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

4. 4

   Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

5. 5

   Beat cream cheese with sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl, until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.

6. 6

   Pour about 1/2 of the batter into a different bowl and set aside.

7. 7

   Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to the batter in the stand mixer bowl and mix until combined.

8. 8

   Transfer 1/4 cup of the plain batter into a piping bag or plastic storage bag. Spread the rest over the pie crust. Top with the pumpkin cheesecake batter.

9. 9

   Pipe remaining plain batter into 5 concentric circles on the top of the cheesecake. Drag the tip of a toothpick or small knife out from the center of the batter to the edge, wiping it down between each pull, to create a spider web effect.

10. 10

    Place the springform pan in the bottom of a roasting pan; fill roasting pan halfway up with warm water to create a water bath.

11. 11

    Carefully transfer cheesecake to the oven and bake until edges are set, top is no longer shiny, and center is still a little jiggly, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

12. 12

    Turn the oven off and prop the door open at least 4 inches. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional 30 minutes.

13. 13

    Remove cheesecake from the oven and water bath. Run a knife around the edge to prevent sticking and cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes more. Cover loosely and chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

14. 14

    Run a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. Slice and serve.