Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake


1 1/2 cups finely crushed ginger snaps
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 (8 ounce) sour cream
1 cup mashed cooked fresh pumpkin or 1 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F if using silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300 degrees F if using dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream, pumpkin, spice and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into crust.

Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.