PW's Pumpkin Caramel Gingersnap Cheesecake

... has changed my life. You should totally make this TODAY for your Thanksgiving meal!
Here are a few pics (Who do I think I am? PW herself?)!

First you make the crust! (pecans, gingersnaps, butter, salt, brown sugar)

Then you press it into your 10" springform pan

While that's in the fridge for 30 mins, you mix up the cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and spices... and drink a diet coke while you do it- because it's late and you're looking at all this food and starting to drool.

Here's what the mix looks like before you put it in the crust.

and because it's Thanksgiving, and you never do it any other time, go ahead and cover the crust with caramel (and sprinkle pecans, too- I forgot to take a pic of that)

and pour the filling in.... mmmm....

Don't let the caramel somehow drip into the bottom of the oven. It's not fun, it doesn't smell nice and it's tough to clean up.

When it comes out of the oven after baking it at 350 for 1 hr 15 minutes, it looks like this! (yes, there are some cracks and yes it did develop a larger crack later, but no one cared. It was THAT good.)

Last step- after cooling it on the counter for 30 minutes, pour caramel over the top and smooth it out.

Then cover it with saran wrap and pop it in the fridge for 4 hours or (better yet) overnight.

I should really de-clutter that fridge huh?
AND being my doofus self, I totally forgot to take a pic of it right before we ate it, but here's a pic of the leftovers this morning.. when I may or may not have eaten a small piece of it for breakfast. What? Who?

I didn't listen to PW when she said not to put whipped cream... I totally did and it was amazing.