Gluten-free Pumpkin Cheesecake with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:
1 pkg gluten-free ginger snaps
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt

Filling:
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 c sour cream
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
¾ c sugar 
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt

Topping:
1 8oz pkg mascarpone (may want to double)
1 vanilla bean
¼ c - ½ c sugar

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  

Crumble cookies in a food processor with cinnamon and salt. Drizzle melted butter in and pulse again until well mixed. Press crumbs done into a 9” spring-form pan and set aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth (can use paddle attachment on Kitchen Aid). Add sour cream, pumpkin puree and sugar. (Can adjust amount of sugar to taste.) Add corn starch Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt. Add vanilla extract.

Pour filling into pan. Bake for about 45 minutes until the filling has set to the center. (Might take an extra half hour.)

Let cheesecake rest until mostly cooled (about an hour). Refrigerate until completely chilled (about two hours).  

Whisk mascarpone with sugar and scraped vanilla bean.  Spread thinly over chilled cheesecake.