1 cup graham cracker crumbs, from 8 whole graham crackers
3 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of melted butter
1 tablespoon of Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur
For the Cheesecake:
3- 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, very soft
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and liqueur and stir until moistened.
Press crust firmly into the bottom of a 7-inch spring-form pan, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
For the cheesecake:
In a large bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer,) cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the flour, and mix until just combined. (Don't over-mix.)
Add the vanilla extract and eggs,( one at a time,) mixing until incorporated before adding the next.
Remove 1 cup of the cheesecake batter, stir in the tablespoon of Frangelico and set aside.
Gently stir the pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice into the remaining cheesecake batter.
Pour the pumpkin cheesecake batter into the crust and then spoon the Frangelico batter into dots or circles over the top. Run a skewer or knife back and forth to swirl the two batters together.
Place cheesecake on a middle rack and reduce heat to 300F. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the outside seems set while the inside of the cheesecake seems to giggle when you shake or tap the oven. (It is VERY important that you don't peek or open the oven the entire time it's baking.)
Turn the oven off and allow cheesecake to slowly cool in the oven for 2 hours. (This will prevent cracking.) Cool the rest of the way on the countertop and then wrap with plastic and chill before serving.