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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chile Chocolate Ganache

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Source: Adapted from this Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe at RecipeSource.com

Servings: For a 9 inch cheesecake (how many that serves is your own business).

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Instructions:

For the crust -
Over medium heat in a nonstick pan, melt that teaspoon of butter for the pecans. When it's foamy, toss the pecans in the butter with a pinch of salt. When the nuts start to smell, uh, "nutty", take 'em off the heat and set 'em aside. Hold back about 4 or 5 gingersnaps and buzz the rest in a food processor with the brown sugar until everything is ground fine. Pulse in the 1/4 cup of melted butter into the gingersnaps and brown sugar until integrated, and press the resultant crumb into the parchment-lined bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside, and then coarsely grind the reserved gingersnaps along with the now butter-toasted pecans (you won't need the pecan/gingersnap mix again until you frost the cheesecake).

For the cheesecake proper -
Preheat oven to 350F Beat cream cheese, eggs, and flour at medium speed with your stand mixer until integrated (around 3 minutes). Add pumpkin, condensed milk, vanilla, salt, and spices. Pour into the crust you just prepared and bake at 350F for 30 minutes; then reduce oven temperature to 225F, and bake 1 hour. At the end of the hour, kill the heat and crack the oven door to cool the cheesecake inside your hotbox. After 5 minutes, run back of a warm, wet knife around the edge of the cheesecake to break it loose from the pan. Continue to cool in the barely-open oven for an additional 2 hours before attempting to remove the springform ring and applying the ganache.

For the Ganache -
Using a microwave or a double boiler, completely melt the chile chocolate. Then use the stand mixer to whisk together sour cream, brandy, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, beating at medium speed until integrated. Add the chocolate to the sour cream mixture and continue to whisk at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Frost the cheesecake completely with the ganache, and then cover the sides of the cheesecake with the reserved gingersnap and pecan crumb you made way back when. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes:

Those cooking and prep times are approximate. Just plan on this taking you the better part of an afternoon between refills to your gin and tonic.

Also, if the ganache sets up in the mixing bowl, you can nuke it for 15-20 seconds at a time and stir until spreadable consistency is reached again.