Pumpkin. Cheesecake. Pie. Hold my hand.

Let me ask you a question, dear reader.

What do you do when you have half an opened can of pumpkin puree in your fridge and a smidgen of left over cream cheese from mini-cheesecakes past accompanying it?

This.

This is what you do.

You go crazy and in a frenzy of inspiration and seasonal delusions you make this.

Pumpkin. Cheesecake. Pie.

This isn't just your Mama's pumpkin pie, let me tell you. This baby is chock full of a ton of ingredients that will have your tummy going "Uhm, yes" and your dietician going, "Uhm, share." Yeah, it's that good.

Oh, and by the way -- did I mention it has a sugared almond/ginger crust? No? Well. It does. And don't even think you can get out of this easy by using some store-bought graham cracker crust. Oh no. This pie crust and filling were meant to be, and it's so incredibly easy to

make... Best part about it? Totally easy to make Gluten-Free. Bonus points? I think so.

Really though, this pie is pretty awesome. I got the original recipe from allrecipes double layer pumpkin pie. Admittedly, I've never had pumpkin pie. Ever. But i'm sure i'd like it either way. This was really good though. Perfect balance of sweetness in contrast to the natural flavor of the pumpkin. And the almondy/ginger crust just brought out the best in the cinnamon and nutmeg in the pumpkin itself. You'd think for the amount of sugar this pie has packed in, it would be too sweet. But it's not at all.

So if you happen to have some left-over pumpkin puree sitting in your fridge -- totally make this. If you don't have any cream cheese... go get some. If you don't have any almonds... Well. Okay. If you absolutelyhavetouseapremadecrust... It may be a little time consuming but it's worth it people, really.

Did I mention it's a pumpkin cheesecake pie?

I can't get over this.

Now, I have one more question for you, my lovely reader:

Want a slice?

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie w/Almond Ginger Crust

(Original recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

Pie Crust Ingredients:

roughly 1 cup of finely chopped almonds

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

5 tablespoons salted butter, divided

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat flour (optional, can sub almond meal for gluten-free crust)

Pie Filling Ingredients:

2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. First, we'll make the pie crust. It's incredibly easy. Take a medium skillet and melt 2 tablespoons of butter in it over low-medium heat. When butter is melted, add almonds, ginger, and sugar. Toss together to coat and let simmer over medium heat, tossing around occasionally to make sure the almonds and ginger are toasted evenly.

2. As soon as they start getting nicely toasted (watch for burning) and fragrant, let them simmer for a minute or two longer before taking them off the skillet and letting them cool on a kitchen towel or a few paper towels piled on top of each other.

3. While almonds are cooling down, melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe container. Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.

4. Wait until both the almond/ginger mixture and melted butter is cooled completely before proceeding. This is because we are making a crust, not almond butter, and if the almonds are still warm, they will not give a crusty texture.

5. With a food processor or hand blender, grind the almond/ginger mixture until it gets a mealy texture. Then, dump into a separate bowl. Add the melted butter, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour (or almond meal). Mix together until you have a crumbly crust-like texture. Don't worry if you have left overs -- I did. And if your crust is a little warm, that's okay. Just as long as it still has a mealy feel to it.

6. Press your crust into a 9 in. pie pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool on counter while you make your pie filling.

7. To make your pie filling, lower your oven to 325F. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time, being careful not to over mix. Reserve 1 cup of this batter and pour evenly into your COOLED pie crust. Set aside.

8. Add your pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

9. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until center is almost set (it should be a little bit jiggly in the middle). Allow to cool, and then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with a cookie leaf or whip cream if desired.