Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Rum Sauce

Treat your guests with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake that's topped with caramel-rum sauce.

Prep: 35 min | Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups crushed teddy bear-shaped cinnamon Graham snacks* (from 10-ounce box)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Spiced Caramel-Rum Sauce**

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light or dark corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon spiced rum or 1/4 teaspoon rum extract

Garnish

• Sweetened whipped cream, if desired

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap foil around pan to catch drips.

Crust

1. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press mixture in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan.
2. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set.
3. Cool for 5 minutes. To minimize cracking, place shallow pan half full of hot water on lower oven rack.

Filling

1. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and granulated sugarwith electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended.
3. Spoon 3 cups of the mixture onto crust; spread evenly.
4. To remaining cream cheese mixture, add pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and cardamom; mix with wire whisk until smooth.
5. Spoon over mixture in pan.
6. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved.
7. Run small metal spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake.
8. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven for 30 minutes.
9. Cool in pan on cooling rack for 30 minutes.
10. Cover loosely; refrigerate for at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Spiced Caramel-Rum Sauce

1. In small saucepan, heat brown sugar, corn syrup and 2 tablespoons butter to boiling over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in whipping cream; heat to boiling. Remove from heat; stir in rum or rum extract.
3. Cool until warm.
4. Just before serving, run small metal spatula around edge of pan; carefully remove side of pan.
5. Top individual slices with warm sauce and a dollop of whipped cream.
6. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.

Notes

* Cinnamon Graham cracker crumbs can be substituted for the teddy bear-shaped Graham crackers. To easily crush the crackers, use a food processor or place them in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

** To save time, use purchased caramel topping instead of making the caramel sauce. Warm the topping and stir in the rum or rum extract.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 440 (Calories from Fat 250), Total Fat 28g (Saturated Fat 15g, Trans Fat 1g), Cholesterol 135mg Sodium 300mg Total Carbohydrate 41g (Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 31 g), Protein 6g

% Daily Value*: Vitamin A 70%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 8%; Iron 6%

Exchanges:0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 1 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 4 Fat; Carbohydrate Choices: 3

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Betty Crocker Kitchens