What's Cooking Wednesday - Thanksgiving edition

I just popped in super quick to say hello and let you know that I am not dead, just surrounded by approximately eleventy billion moving boxes.  We haven't had internet for a few days, which feels like FOREVER!

In case you are scrambling for a last minute Thanksgiving recipe, here is my absolutely favorite, go to recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake.  It is based on a recipe from a five star restaurant and is scrumdillyumptious.  Everyone is always super impressed because there is a layer of regular cheesecake and a layer of pumpkin.  I love it because it is fast and easy!  You can throw it together with just a few ingredients, most of which you probably have around the house.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
• 1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Whipped Cream Topping

• 1 pint whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 1/2 cups of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
3. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. 
5. For whipped cream topping, whip all ingredients together until the cream forms peaks.  Make this the day of.