Christmas: Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients

• For The Crust

  • 1 box Nabisco NIlla Wafers 
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus some additional for pan)

• For The Filling

  • 2 packages bar cream cheese (8 ounces each)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9" springform pan with melted butter.
2. In a food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup crumbs); add butter, and pulse until moistened.
3. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press gently into bottom. Bake until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, flour, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; process until combined. Set aside.
5. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Add 1 cup pumpkin mixture; stir to combine. Set aside.
6. Pour remaining pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl. Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes. (Mine needed over an hour, so watch your oven.)
7. Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days).