Elegant Pumpkin Cheesecake Walnut Pie

One To Serve~Six To Give (or keep!)

This recipe is a cross between a traditional pumpkin pie and a pumpkin cheesecake. Instead of using a cup and a half of milk, you use one 8 ounce package of cream cheese. The original recipe came from a website called myrecipes.com and it called for 2 refrigerated pie crusts. One was used for the bottom crust and the other was used to make cut-outs of leaves for decorating the top of the pie. It looked really great, but I was not in the mood to fiddle around with leave cut- outs so I opted to use pre-made graham crusts.

I had a feeling there would be extra pie filling left over once the 9" crust was filled, so I also picked up 6 mini graham pie crusts just in case. I was right (as always ;), and I was able to get all six mini crusts filled. It worked out great because I brought the large pie to Thanksgiving dinner and gave away the mini pies to some very lucky people. Of course, I also kept one for myself (I mean I had to make sure it was edible!)

Elegant Pumpkin Cheesecake Walnut Pie

1 (9 ") graham piecrust (or use larger size to make one pie)
6 mini graham piecrusts
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped and toasted
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 cup molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Fat-free cool whip (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 425°.

Combine 1/2 cup light brown sugar, chopped walnuts, butter, and vanilla extract; spread on the bottom of pie crust.

Beat pumpkin, cream cheese, 2 eggs, molasses and remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer. Add flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg, beating until blended. Spoon pumpkin mixture over walnut mixture in pie crusts.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°, and bake 30 more* minutes or until pie is set. Remove pie to a wire rack; cool. Serve warm or chilled decorated with cool whip, if desired.

*Check the mini pies with a toothpick at 20 minutes. Remove if toothpick comes out clean.