Salted Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and butter until well combined.

Lightly spray a 9-inch non-stick springform pan with cooking spray and add the graham cracker mixture, pressing evenly and firmly with a drinking glass onto the bottom and ½ inch up the sides. Bake until the crust is lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the crust cool.

Decrease the oven temperature to 225°F and open the door to help drop the internal temperature for a few minutes. Check the temperature read with an oven thermometer; once 225°F is reached, close the door. This is a very important step to ensure the oven is at the proper temperature, so the cheesecake doesn’t crack!

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the cream cheese, the drained pumpkin purée, sugar, sour cream, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves until smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time into the mixer and beat until blended.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cooled graham cracker crust and bake until set with a slight wiggle in the center, approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Turn off the oven and open the door to vent, leaving the cheesecake inside for 15 minutes. This step prepares the cheesecake for room temperature, so it doesn’t crack!

Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack to fully cool at room temperature, for about 2 hours.

Cover the springform pan with a clean kitchen towel but be sure it is not touching the cake. Tightly tuck the towel under the pan and refrigerate until completely set, 6 hours to overnight. The towel will collect any condensation that forms from the cake. Don’t add plastic wrap to cover, it will drip the water droplets onto the cake, making it soggy.

When ready to serve, remove the springform pan sides, top the cake with the chopped toasted pecans and slice into ten wedges.

Place the caramel in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until pliable and slightly warm but not hot, 10 to 15 seconds. Drizzle some caramel over the pecans and lightly sprinkle with sea salt before serving.

For freshly roasted puréed pumpkin, stem, halve, and gut a baby, sugar pumpkin.

Roast pumpkin at 400°F for 35-45 minutes until tender.

Discard skin and purée the pulp. Store the remaining purée in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.