CHEESECAKE - Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

By Aemelia

Ingredients

• 25 NABISCO Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• Dash ground cloves

Details

Adapted from kraftrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1-1/2 cups plain batter; place in small bowl. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half of reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

BAKE 55 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 16 slices. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

How to Bake Cheesecake in 13x9-inch baking pan:
Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil. Prepare as directed, decreasing baking time to 45 min. or until center is almost set.

How to Test Cheesecake Doneness:
To avoid overbaking a cheesecake, check for doneness at the minimum baking time by gently shaking the pan. If the cheesecake is done, the edge should be slightly puffed and it will be set except for a small area in the center that will be soft and jiggly. Do not insert a knife into the center as this may cause the cheesecake to crack during cooling.