Sweet Potato Cheesecake

I love potatoes. I mean, I'm absolutely crazy about them.

It doesn't matter if they're boiled, mashed, scalloped, baked, fried, or turned into a sweet treat, I could eat them every single day for every single meal and never grow tired of them. . . which is probably why I've been on a diet the past few months (a low carb diet at that :( ). But I have lost over 50lbs, so the many days of a potato-less existence have been worth it.

But a person can only take so much, and Thanksgiving only comes once a year, right? So, I took a little break from the diet and enjoyed, you guessed it, potatoes. Sweet potatoes to be exact. And cheesecake. A deliciously perfect combination.

Ingredients:
Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/4 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:
2 c baked sweet potato, peeled and pureed
3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 c granulated sugar
1/3 c sour cream
1/4 c heavy whipping cream
3 eggs (or 2 if you're using duck eggs)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Topping:
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c butter
1/4 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 c chopped pecans

The Crust:
1) In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until they're thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of either a springform pan or a cheesecake pan. Bake for about 10-15 minutes in a preheated 350F degree oven.

The Cheesecake Filling:
1) In a large bowl, mix together about 2 cups of pureed sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

2) Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

3) Pour the filling into the springform pan and bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Then turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for an hour with the door ajar.

The Topping:
1) In a medium sized saucepan, combine the brown sugar and butter. Stir over low heat until the sugar  dissolves. Increase to medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool a little, then pour it on top of the cooled cheesecake.

When I told my mom I was planning to make a cheesecake this year instead of the usual sweet potato pie, she wasn't too thrilled (I think she was worried I'd forego the sweet potato casserole, too - she's a recent convert to it and looks forward to that more than anything during the holidays. . . in fact, I think if she had to choose between me and sweet potato casserole, I'd lose ;) ). But after trying it, we both agree that sweet potatoes and cheesecake combined are now a must for our holiday dinners.