Amway Grand-inspired pumpkin cheesecake
Kelly Greenway, department assistant, development
Many years ago when the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel first opened, my parents went to the Cornucopia restaurant and tried their pumpkin cheesecake. They loved it so much, my mom went home and went about trying to come up with a recipe that tasted similar. She came up with a great recipe, and it's become a Thanksgiving tradition ever since. Every year my youngest brother checks to make sure that my mom is going to make it. I don't think that she would mind me sharing the recipe.
Crust: 5 oz. crushed Lorna Dorne Cookies and 3 tablespoons of melted butter, or you can make a graham cracker crust with 1/4 lb. graham crackers (makes 1–3/4 cups), 2 tablespoons sugar, 1–1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 6 tablespoons melted butter.
Cheesecake:
1–½ lb. cream cheese
1–1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 t vanilla
1–3/4 cup pumpkin
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t cloves
Beat well. Add sugar gradually, then eggs one at a time. Add vanilla last. Pour into Springform pan. Bake 45–50 minutes at 375 until set. Cool.
Topping: Whip 1 pint whipping cream and sweeten with sugar and cinnamon. Spread over cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate.
