You Know You Want Some

This weekend I tackled a recipe I found in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine. One look and I was salivating. The name alone is glorious. And then I made it...and decided I can now die happy. It is rich. It is tasty. It is so good you'll want to make it every weekend. Its not fair to keep such goodness to myself, so please let me share with y'all the goodness that is Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Pie.

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Deep Dish Pie Pastry (I just bought a frozen one. Worked like a charm!)
• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened (1-1/2 8-oz. pkgs.)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate or miniature chocolate pieces
• 1 15-oz. can pumpkin
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I substituted a teaspoon of nutmeg/teaspoon of cinnamon)
  
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup half-and-half

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line pie crust with double thickness of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 6 minutes more or until golden. Cool on wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

2. In medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg; beat on low speed until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture in cooled pastry shell. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate.

3. In bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and spice. Stir in 4 eggs. Gradually stir in half-and-half. Slowly pour pumpkin mixture on chocolate layer. To prevent overbrowning, cover pie edge with foil.

4. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove foil. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hour. Top with chopped chocolate.

Let me note, also, that the pie tastes loads better chilled. I'd suggest refrigerating overnight before eating--if you can hold off, of course.