One of the greatest things about  fall is making pumpkin pie. Not only because of Halloween, but also because it’s a great excuse for me to stuff my face “taste testing” an entire batch of pumpkin everything before I present it to people. Binging aside, I always kick things up a notch and this year I’ve made this dessert even more awesome by combining the magic of cheesecake and the deliciousness of pumpkin pie to make the MASTER of all pies. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Graham Cracker Crust
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Cheesecake Layer

•  1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
•  1/4 cup sugar
•  1 teaspoon vanilla
•  1 egg 

Pumpkin layer

• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
•  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

DIRECTIONS

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350F. 

To a food processor add: 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs, 6 tablespoons of melted, warm butter, ¼ cup of sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. Pulse until well combined. 

Spread the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan, be sure to press in to the bottom and sides as well. Slap the pie on the middle rack and bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust is a light brown and firm. Remove from the oven to cool. 

For the cheesecake mixture: Combine softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla. Blend. Mix in the egg. Once combined, pour the cheese over crust. 

For the pumpkin mixture: In a bowl add: pureed pumpkin, salt, sugar, all the spices, and flour. Add the eggs and blend/mix. Next, add your water, milk and vanilla. Mix until well combined and smooth. Pour over the cheesecake mixture. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake for about 30 minutes longer, or until center is set. 

Done, son. If you’d like, you can slap some whipped cream on there, but you don’t need to mess with excellence.