Pumpkin Cheesecake with Hazelnut Crust

Crust:
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cornstarch
3 - 8 oz. (250 g) packages cream cheese
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin

For crust:
Toast hazelnuts in oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Cool slightly and rub off skins.
Place nuts in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add sugar and process until nuts are finely chopped, but not greasy.
Combine nut mixture with butter. Pat into bottom of a 9" springform pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool before filling.
For filling:
Stir together sugar, spices and cornstarch.
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar mixture, scraping down sides of bowl often.
Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well.
Beat in pumpkin just until blended. Pour into crust lined pan.
Place a pan of water in bottom of oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 300 degrees F and bake for another 30 minutes.
Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack. Cover the pan and rack with a large bowl or pot, so that the cake cools slowly.
Cool completely then chill before serving.

Makes 12 decadent servings

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