Tuesday Treats - Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

My specialty around the holidays is dessert. Yeah, I can handle the rest of the meal, but what I truly enjoy are the pies. My most-requested recipe is Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake, a recipe I snagged from my mom who snagged it from her friend Sandy. Thanks Sandy for being the source of many compliments I've received!

The first thing you need to do is prep your springform pan by wrapping the bottom and sides with foil. I recommend the widest and thickest foil you can purchase. I usually add three to four layers of foil. Then, I use a tin roasting pan to create a water bath.

CRUST:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1 stick butter

dash of cinnamon

Combine ingredients and press into bottom of pan.

FILLING PART 1:

3 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese (softened to room temp)

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

2 T vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in milk until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Separate 1 cup of filling and set aside.  Set aside remainder of filling.

FILLING PART 2:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t ground nutmeg

Mix pumpkin, sugar and spices together. Add pumpkin mix to main filling (not cup set aside) and mix well. Layer half of pumpkin mix and half of cup of reserved mix in pan. Repeat layers. Cut through batter with knife several times to create swirl effect. Bake in water bath at 350 degrees for one hour.