Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy of Midwest Dairy Association

Ingredients

Crust:

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Pumpkin Mixture:

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup water
2 packages (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2-1/2 cups canned or cooked pumpkin
2 cups whipping cream, whipped

Directions

For crust: Combine pecans, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into bottom of 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Let cool.

For filling: Soften gelatin in water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and sugar; mix at medium speed until blended. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and pumpkin. Mix until blended. Chill cream cheese mixture until slightly thickened, approximately 20 minutes. Fold in whipped cream; pour over crust. Chill until firm.

For a creepy decoration, draw a spider web using cake decorating gel. Top with a plastic spider or two.