Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake ~ Stephanie Clark

Crust: (or you can use two pre-made graham cracker store crusts if you have to)

2 C. finely crushed ginger snaps

1/2 C. finely chopped pecans (if desired)

6 Tblsp. butter - melted

Filling:

3-8 oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1 C. sugar - divided

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

1 C. canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

dash of ground cloves

Crust: mix ingredients and press into bottom and two inches up the side of a 9 inch spring form pan. Set aside (you can put it into the fridge to help it stay formed while you mix the filling.)

Filling: beat cream cheese & 3/4 C. of the sugar and the vanilla w/ an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Reserve 1 1/2 C. of the plain batter. Stir remaining 1/3 C. sugar, pumpkin, and spices into remaining batter. Spoon 1/2 of the pumpkin batter over crust, top w/ spoon fulls of 1/2 of the plain batter. Repeat. Cut through batters w/ a butter knife several times for a marble effect. Bake @ 325 for 55 minutes until center is almost set. (bake @ 300 if the pan is dark/not silver). Loosen cake from sides of pan; let the cheesecake cool before actually removing the side of the pan though. Refrigerate for 4 hours