Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 3 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 1½ cups Hershey's mini chips semi-sweet chocolate

Chocolate cookie crust

• 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs (about 30 wafers)
• ¼ cup Hershey's cocoa
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup (½ stick) melted butter or margarine

Chocolate leaves

• several non-toxic leaves
• ½ cup Hershey's mini chips semi-sweet chocolate

Procedures

Chocolate cookie crust

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Stir together vanilla wafer crumbs, cocoa, powdered sugar and melted butter or margarine in medium bowl.
3. Press mixture firmly onto bottom and ½-inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.
4. Bake 8 minutes; cool slightly.

Filling

1. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl until well blended.
3. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until well blended.
4. Stir in small chocolate chips; pour batter into prepared crust.
5. Bake 10 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F; continue baking 60 minutes or until almost set.
7. Remove from oven to wire rack.
8. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan.
9. Cool completely; remove side of pan.
10. Refrigerate about 5 hours before serving.
11. Prepare and garnish with chocolate leaves, if desired.

Chocolate leaves

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the non-toxic leaves.
2. Place Hershey's mini chips in small microwave-safe bowl.
3. Microwave at high (100%) 30 to 45 seconds or until smooth when stirred.
4. With small, soft-bristled pastry brush, brush melted chocolate on backs of leaves.
5. Place on wax paper-covered cookie sheet; refrigerate until very firm.
6. Beginning at stem, carefully pull green leaves from chocolate leaves; refrigerate until ready to use.
7. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake.