Maple Bourbon Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Hilary Kennedy

 Crust:

• 1 ½ cups gingersnap crumbs (about 25-30 cookies)
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans, (I chopped with cookies in the food processor)
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 stick, unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Topping:

• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 1 Tbs. maple flavored bourbon
• 2 tsp. fresh orange zest

Directions:

Invert bottom of 9” springform pan and secure in place.  This will give you a flat bottom, which is easier to cut and serve cheesecake.  Wrap bottom and sides of pan with foil to create a seal around the bottom/sides.   Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine gingersnaps, pecans, butter, sugar and brown sugar until combined.  Pour about 1/3 to ½ of the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan.  Press mixture down with fingers or back of the spatula.  While turning pan, gently pour remaining mixture against the sides of the pan.  Press mixture up against the sides of the pan, almost to the top, making sure that the mixture is not too thick at the curve of the pan.  Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a stock pot with water and bring to a simmer.

While water is warming, mix together the sour cream, 2 Tbs. sugar, 1 Tbs. of bourbon and orange zest.  Mix well and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, mix until smooth and no lumps are visible. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl often, to loosen any cream cheese that my stick.

While cream cheese is mixing, mix together ½ cup sugar, cornstarch, salt and pumpkin spice till well combined. Add to cream cheese mixture and mix for 3 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sweet potato puree, eggs, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and bourbon.  Reduce speed of mixer and add sweet potato mixture.  Beat until smooth.

Pour filling into prepared crust. Then place the filled pan inside of a roasting pan and place in oven.  Gently pull out baking rack so that you can pour the simmering water into the roasting pan. Fill until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan.

Bake 45 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325 degrees and cook an additional 30 minutes.  Do not open oven during the cooking time.  After the 30 minutes, remove cheesecake from oven, but do not turn off the oven.  The cheesecake should be set around the edges, but still, have a slight jiggle in the middle.

Let cool for 5 minutes and then pour sour cream mixture over the cheesecake and place pecan halves around the edges.  Place back in the oven and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Turn off the oven, open the door and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and roasting pan and cook for 15 minutes on a wire baking rack.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

To serve, remove from the refrigerator and release from springform pan edges.  Gently slide out of the pan and place cheesecake on serving dish (do not remove the bottom of springform pan).

Run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe dry and slice cheesecake.

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