Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake
rec.food.recipes/Carolyn Perchaluk

This is my Mother's recipe and although I have never made it, each time I've tried Mom's, it has been wonderful.

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 lb. cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. finely diced crystallized ginger
1 tsp. ginger
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

Mix crumbs, nuts and butter. Press into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Wrap foil around outside of pan. Bake at 350 F. for 10 minutes. Let cool on rack. Beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Beat eggs one at a time with cream cheese. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Remove 1 1/2 cup of cheese mixture and blen in diced ginger. Set aside. To remaining cheese mixture, blend remaining sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pour over crust. Using large spoonfuls of light coloured mixture, drop onto pumpkin mixture and swirl in through pumpkin mixture with a knife. Be careful not to cut into crust.

Place pan in larger pan containing boiling water to come up 1-inch on side of pan. Bake at 350 F. for 50 minutes or until puffed and no longer shiny. Quickly run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake. Let cool in oven 1 hour. Remove from water. Let cook completely on rack. Refridgerate at least 8 hours. Remove from springform pan.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream if desired (but it's already really rich).