What is a Spiced Wafer?

Unless you grew up in or around Philly, you’ve never tasted anything quite like a Spiced Wafer! It’s crunchier than the average cookie, with more complex flavors than a ginger snap. We use the finest ingredients in our house-crafted blend of blackstrap molasses and warm spices to evoke the feelings of the autumn season. Traditionally, Spiced Wafers are best enjoyed dunked in your favorite drink, such as coffee, milk, tea, or hot apple cider - but in this recipe they become the foundation for a fall dessert that's sure to please everybody!

While we definitely recommend using Carlo's Famous Spiced Wafers for this recipe, popular Pennsylvania-based brands Sweetzel's and Ivan's can also be used. If spiced wafers are unavailable near you, ginger snap cookies can be substituted as well.

Preparation

Wrap the bottom and sides of a 10 or 11 inch springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil.

The Crust

• 2 Cups Carlo's Famous Spiced Wafer Crumbs
• 3 Tablespoons of Sugar
• 1 Stick Salted Butter (Melted)

Combine all ingredients well and evenly spread on the bottom of a springform pan. Make sure that your crust is flat and evenly distributed across the pan. Bake the crust at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

The Filling

• 40oz (5 Sticks) Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 8oz Sour Cream
• 8oz Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 6oz Cold Brew Coffee (Black)
• 1 1/2oz Chicory Liqueur
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamon
• 4 Large Organic Eggs.

Combine all ingredients except the eggs until your mixture is completely smooth and evenly combined, with no lumps of cream cheese. Once this is done you can then add the 4 eggs. It is important to wait and do the eggs last so that they do not become overbeaten in your mixture - that could trap air pockets in your cheesecake filling and cause it to crack while baking. Once the eggs have been mixed in, pour your filling mixture over the crust in the springform pan.

Baking and Cool Down

Place your cheesecake in the center rack of your oven, but before you shut the oven door, place a baking pan with at least 2 cups of water on the oven rack beneath it, this will give you the effect of a water-bath (a popular method of cooking cheesecakes to ensure they remain moist and don't crack while baking) without the possibility of water leeching into your crust. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Once your bake time is up, turn off your oven and open the oven door just a crack to slowly reduce the heat inside. Let your cheesecake sit in the inactive oven for 40 minutes to slowly return to room temperature. doing this slowly will once again reduce the chances of your cheesecake breaking. Once at room temperature, place your cheesecake in the refrigerator and let chill overnight.