Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cheesecake

Halloween week. Marcus wants to be a scientist. Jasmine wants to be Beyoncé, which: of course she does. I made Marcus's costume from things around the house — lab coat (my old white button-down), goggles (Dollar Tree), and a clipboard with "SCIENCE" written in Marcus's handwriting because he insisted on authenticity. Jasmine's costume required more effort: a gold sequined top from Goodwill, black leggings, and a microphone made from a paper towel roll and aluminum foil. She practiced her Beyoncé walk in the hallway for forty minutes. Marcus timed her.

The school had a Halloween parade and trunk-or-treat in the parking lot. I was on the planning committee, which means I spent Tuesday and Wednesday after work decorating car trunks with other parent volunteers while pretending I had time for this. Vanessa helped. She brought Brian the podiatrist, who turned out to be a perfectly nice man who carves pumpkins with surgical precision. I approve. Cautiously.

No Set the Table this week — I gave the girls a week off for Halloween. Destiny texted me (she's the only one with a phone) and asked if we're still meeting next week. I said yes. She said, "Good. Diamond's been asking." That twelve-year-old who didn't speak for the first two classes is now asking about the next one. This is why I show up. This is why the early mornings and the groceries out of my own pocket and the lesson planning at midnight — because a girl who didn't speak is now asking when she can come back.

Mama didn't answer her phone on Thursday. I called four times. By the fourth ring I was in my car, driving to Cascade Heights with my heart in my throat. She was asleep. Just asleep. The chemo makes her sleep fourteen hours some days. Curtis opened the door and saw my face and said, "She's fine. She's sleeping." I sat in the living room for an hour watching her breathe and then drove home. I didn't tell Marcus and Jasmine where I'd been. Some weights are mine to carry.

Made a Halloween dinner of mummy hot dogs (crescent roll dough wrapped around hot dogs with mustard eyes) and "witch's brew" soup (tomato soup, green food coloring, which Jasmine declared "gross" and then ate two bowls of). Marcus said the mummy dogs were "childish" and then ate four. We carved pumpkins after dinner. I saved the seeds and roasted them with cayenne and salt — Mama's trick, the one she does every year, the cayenne turning something ordinary into something you can't stop eating. Marcus ate the whole bowl. "These are fire," he said, which I choose to interpret as a compliment.

The pumpkin seeds were Mama’s idea first — they always have been — and standing in my kitchen at nine o’clock watching Marcus eat a whole bowl of them, I felt her presence so strongly it almost hurt. I needed to stay inside that feeling. So the next day I made this slow cooker pumpkin cheesecake, because it uses the same canned pumpkin I always keep on hand in October, because it practically makes itself while you’re doing seventeen other things, and because something rich and spiced and a little indulgent felt like exactly the right way to honor a week that asked a lot of me.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 2 hr 30 min | Total Time: 2 hr 50 min (plus chilling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full crackers)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 tablespoons sour cream

Instructions

Prep the slow cooker. Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan. Lightly grease the sides. Create a foil ring or use a small trivet to elevate the pan inside a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of the slow cooker to create steam.
Make the crust. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
Make the filling. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the pumpkin puree and sugar and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low after each addition just until incorporated — do not overmix. Beat in the vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, and sour cream until smooth.
Fill and cover. Pour the filling over the chilled crust. Smooth the top with a spatula. Lay a double layer of paper towels across the top of the slow cooker before placing the lid on — this absorbs condensation and keeps the cheesecake from getting a wet surface.
Slow cook. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The cheesecake is done when the edges are set and the center jiggles only slightly when the pan is gently shaken. Turn off the slow cooker and let the cheesecake rest with the lid ajar for 30 minutes.
Chill. Remove the springform pan from the slow cooker and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Run a thin knife around the edge before releasing the springform ring. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.
Serve. Slice with a clean knife (wipe between cuts). Top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon if you like. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cheesecake — Mama’s Pumpkin, My Halloween