Turtle Pumpkin Cheesecake...

This is such a wonderful dessert for the upcoming holiday...this is a great dessert to make the day before the big day. It holds well for several days in the refrigerator, it just gets better and better...

Turtle Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie wafers
1/4 cup of melted butter

Filling
1/4 cup of flour
3 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
1 15 ounce can of pumpkin
4 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cups white sugar
5 eggs

Topping
1/2 cup toasted pecans
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup of caramel topping

Heat oven to 300 degrees, mix cookie crumbs and melted butter in 9 inch spring form pan...spread all over bottom of pan and bake in oven for 8-10minutes. Cool at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in another bowl mix pumpkin, flour and pumpkin spice...set aside.
In a large mixing bowl with a electric mixer whip the cream cheese until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually beat in brown sugar and granulated sugar...
On low speed add eggs one at a time...mixing after each one...Gradually add in pumpkin mixture until smooth...pour over filling....

Bake I hour and 15 minutes until set on the edges and the center is still shaky, open oven door and let cake sit in the oven until cool...take out of oven and cool further on wire rack...place in the refrigerator and cool at least 6 hours of better overnight...

Just before serving, sprinkle toasted pecans over the top of the cake...heat the chocolate pieces up with the oil and spoon over pecans and the top with the caramel..adding more to the plate when serving...

pretty simple ingredients...I used gluten free Jo Joe's from, Trader Joe's for the crust....they worked well...if you eat gluten try the chocolate cookie wafers that are in a sleeve in every store...

 crumb the cookies, I used the blender but a food processor would work great too...

add melted butter and stir...spread evenly over the bottom of the pan and bake for 8-10 minutes...'

mix pumpkin, flour and spices...blend....

cream the cream cheese...

add sugar and eggs, beating after each one....

add pumpkin mixture....

pour over crust and place in the oven...and bake for 1 and a half hours and then...

cool in the oven that has been turned off and the door is propped open...

take out of oven and refrigerate, until time to eat...

roughly chop pieces of chocolate...

Toast the pecans in a pan.......

ta-da!!!!! the pecans are sprinkled on the cake and the chocolate drizzled...now ready for the caramel...

This is the best darn cake...holds up well in the refrigerator...if you don't eat it in one day.....

Cheers to Happy  !!!!!

1