Pumpkin cheesecake beats pumpkin pie

No disrespect pumpkin pie. You come to the table with a lot of tradition. But sometimes you're a little, well, boring.

Don't fret. You're still loved. It's just that today, Oct. 21, is National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day, a well-deserved honor for your creamy, tangy, dare I say, edger cousin.

Who started National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day or when it was first celebrated is unclear. Pumpkin cheesecake popped up during the 1990s foodie craze. Everyone, it seemed, was putting creative spins on classic recipes. Pumpkin pie was no exception.

Pumpkin cheesecake started simple, just pureed pumpkin blended into the basic cheesecake recipe. Over time, ideas grew more daring -- chocolate-marbled pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake pops dipped in dark chocolate and pumpkin cheesecake tiramisu to name a few.

At The Flying Cupcake shops in and around Indianapolis, you can get a chocolate pumpkin goat cheese cupcake.

Pumpkin Week: Indy chefs' best pumpkin dishes

I've dolled up my share of pumpkin cheesecakes. A couple years ago, I put cracked black pepper into my pumpkin cheesecake gingersnap crust. That's the cake in the picture here, and, sorry, I didn't write down the recipe. Because the top of the cheesecake cracked once it cooled, as cheesecakes often do, I coated the creation with a thick layer of white chocolate ganache spiked with bourbon. Everyone thought I went out of my way to make the cake more special, and that was fine with me.

Lately, I'm love honey bourbons and exotic flavors. I added a dose of Jim Beam Honey and a little Chinese five spice to my latest pumpkin cheesecake on a ginger oatmeal cookie crust. That crack that always happens on top while baking cheesecakes? It will be hidden under a thick coating of honey bourbon caramel sauce dotted with toasted pecans.

If pumpkin pie could talk, I'm sure it would reveal its cousin's defect. Alas, it will sit quietly in the corner while my pumpkin cheesecake gets props.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake with Pecan Caramel Sauce

Crust:

¾ cup flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling:

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon Chinese five spice, if desired

2 tablespoons honey bourbon, if desired

1 15-ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

5 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the caramel sauce:

1 1/2 cups caramel sauce

¼ cup honey bourbon

3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, ginger and salt. Make a well in the center of the bowl, and pour in the melted butter. Stir until the dough comes together, slightly. Pour the crust into a 9-inch springform pan. Press the mixture evenly and firmly onto the bottom of the pan. Bake about 15 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Prepare filling: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, Chinese five spice, honey bourbon and pumpkin until well blended. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in brown and granulated sugars until mixture is smooth. On low speed, beat in 1 egg at a time until each egg is just blended. Add vanilla and gradually beat in pumpkin mixture until smooth.

Set cooled crust in springform pan on a baking sheet. Pour filling over cooled crust in springform pan. Bake cake on baking sheet for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until center of cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly. Turn oven off, but open the oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes.

Cool cheesecake in springform pan on wire rack 30 minutes and then in the refrigerator overnight.

Prepare caramel sauce: Pour caramel in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in bourbon and cook until sauce is heated, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped pecans.

Serve: Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Carefully remove side of pan and transfer cake to a serving platter. Pour caramel sauce over entire cake or individual slices.

Makes 12-16 servings.

Source: Liz Biro, www.indystar.com

Call Liz Biro at (317) 444-6264. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Email her at elizabeth.biro@indystar.com.