Spirited Pumpkin Cheesecake

-----PECAN CRUST----- 1 tb Butter -- room temp

1 1/4 c Finely chopped pecans

1/4 c Fine dry bread crumbs

2 tb Sugar

2 tb Butter: melted & cooled

-----CHEESECAKE----- 2 1/4 lb Cream cheese -- room temp

1/4 c Brandy or cognac

3/4 c Cooked pumpkin -- pureed

1 1/2 c Lt brown sugar -- packed

1/3 c Sugar

1 1/2 ts Cinnamon

3/4 ts Ground ginger

1/4 ts Ground nutmeg

1/8 ts Ground cloves

1/8 ts Ground mace

3 Lg eggs -- room temp

2 Lg egg yolks -- room temp

Pecan Crust: Heat oven to 350, place rack in center. Coat bottom and sides of 9" spring form pan evenly with unmelted butter and set aside. Mix dry ingredients in med. bowl. Drizzle melted butter over dry mix and stir and toss to coat until slightly darkened and uniform. Press crust evenly on sides and bottom of pan and refrigerate 5 minutes. Bake until crust is slightly dry, 8 - 10 minutes, cool on wire rack to room temp. Cheesecake: Cut cream cheese into 1" chunks, place in large mixer bowl and beat at med speed until completely smooth. Continue beating while slowly adding brandy. Add pumpkin and mix well. Continue beating while very slowly adding sugars, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat until smooth, add spices blend well. Beat whole eggs with the yolks in small bowl at med speed until blended. Add eggs, about 1/4 c at a time to cheese mix, beating well and

scraping sides of bowl after each addition. Pour batter into cooled Pecan Crust, spread top smooth. Gently rotate pan several quarter-turns to settle batter. Bake until sides of cake are well set and center is just set, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Turn oven off. Let cake stand in oven with door propped open 8" for 30 minutes. Place on wire rack away from drafts, let cool undisturbed until sides and bottom are completely cooled. Remove sides of pan and refrigerate uncovered overnight or at least 8 hours. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time. from " The Perfect Cheesecake" by editors of Consumer Guide