Full-Moon Pumpkin Cheesecake

The cheesecake is the eerie background behind a chocolate fudge broomstick flying witch. Other possibilities are a fence with a cat against the Halloween moon or turn the pumpkin cheesecake into a pumpkin with a spooky face. Leave off the witch and serve the Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving. Delicious!

What you’ll need:

• Gingersnap Cookie Crust (recipe follows)
• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup solid pack pumpkin
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• 1 recipe Black Cat Fudge (see Black Cat Fudge post)

What to do:

1. Prepare Gingersnap Cookie Crust; set aside.
   Increase oven temperature to 425F. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy; beat in sugar and eggs, one at a time. Add sour cream, pumpkin, flour and spices; beat well. Pour 2 cups batter into small bowl; stir in chocolate.
2. Pour remaining batter into prepared crust. Spoon chocolate batter in large swirls over batter in pan; draw knife through mixture to marbleize.
3. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300F. Back 35 to 45 minutes (center of cheesecake will not be set). Turn oven off; let cheesecake stand in oven with door slightly ajar 1 hour. Cool to room temperature in pan on wire rack. Cover; refrigerate in pan overnight.
4. Prepare Black Cat Fudge; do not cut. Using your own witch diagram as guide, cut out witch shape. Using knife, score to add details on broom, hat, etc. Cut small star shapes from scraps with cutter or sharp knife.
5. Remove side of pan; place cheesecake on serving plate. With wide metal spatula, carefully position witch on cheesecake. Position stars.

Makes 1 (9-inch) cheesecake
About 15 servings

Gingersnap Cookie Crust

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine cookie crumbs and nuts in a small bowl. Mix in butter.
2. Press mixture evenly on bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch spring form pan.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes; cool on wire rack.

Makes 1 crust.