Pumpkin Swirled Cheese Cake

Recipe View Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). (5 minutes)

Recipe View In a medium bowl, combine crushed shortbread cookies, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons of flour. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool completely. (20 minutes)

Recipe View In a large bowl, blend together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, and cream cheese using an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and fully combined. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture in a separate small bowl; this will be used for swirling. (10 minutes)

Recipe View To the remaining cream cheese mixture in the large bowl, add the vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger. Blend well to incorporate the spices. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat until the batter is smooth and homogenous. Pour the pumpkin-infused batter into the cooled shortbread crust. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Stir 1 tablespoon of milk into the reserved cream cheese mixture until smooth. Drop spoonfuls of this mixture randomly over the surface of the pumpkin batter in the crust. Use a sharp knife or skewer to create decorative swirls by gently dragging the knife through both the pumpkin and cream cheese mixtures. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Cover the edge of the crust with a 2- to 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cheesecake comes out clean. Remove the foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to allow the crust to achieve a golden-brown color. (40 minutes)

Recipe View Allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, before serving. This allows the flavors to meld and the cheesecake to fully set. (4 hours)