Pumpkin Cheesecake

Okay, hear me out. I like pumpkin pie. I like it even better made with pumpkin puree from a roasted pumpkin. But what if it was ALSO a cheesecake? This year, cheesecake seemed to me the best possible variation on this Thanksgiving tradition, so I made one for our practice dinner last week. The addition of pumpkin makes it less sweet overall than regular cheesecake. I'm liking it a lot.

For the crust:
1 box store brand ginger snaps, minus 12 cookies
6 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pulse the ginger snaps in a food processor until they are reduced to crumbs. Combine with butter and press into the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of a springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove.

For the filling: 

3 8-oz packages cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/4 cup honey
4 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Blend the cream cheese and the brown sugar until completely mixed and very light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients until well blended. Mix both parts together and blend well. Pour the filling into the partially baked crust and bake for one hour. After one hour, turn off the oven and prop the door a little bit open by inserting a wooden spoon. Let slowly cool for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for several hours, or over night. Serve cold with whipped cream, maybe.