Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
I don't use pumpkin very often and it's been ages since I made this cheesecake but I was inspired by the gingersnap cookies I made back in September to grind some up and use them as a base.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake (serves 8-12)
1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (plus ~1/4 cup for garnish)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (room temperature)
3 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix the gingersnap cookie crumbs, sugar, ginger and butter and press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake the crust in a preheated 350 deg F oven for 5 minutes and set aside.
Lower the oven to 325 deg F.
Cream the cream cheese in a food processor.
Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla and then the spices.
Pour the mixture into the spring form pan.
Bake until the outside 2/3 of the cheesecake is set but there's still some jiggle in the center, about 60 minutes.
Open the oven door and leave the cheesecake in the cooling oven for about 15 min. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
Remove the cheesecake from the pan and refrigerate overnight.
Decoration: A covering layer of sweetened whipping cream, salted caramel drizzled in pattern of your choice and gingersnap crumbs around the edges of the cheesecake.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Salted Caramel Sauce (makes ~ 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch coarse salt (reduced from the 1 tsp recommended)
Heat the sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat and simmer it until it turns a medium amber colour. DO NOT STIR!!
Remove from heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream.
Return to heat and cook until smooth, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in the butter.
Allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
Let cool and transfer to a glass jar or other lidded container and refrigerate.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake (serves 8-12)
1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (plus ~1/4 cup for garnish)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (room temperature)
3 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix the gingersnap cookie crumbs, sugar, ginger and butter and press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake the crust in a preheated 350 deg F oven for 5 minutes and set aside.
Lower the oven to 325 deg F.
Cream the cream cheese in a food processor.
Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla and then the spices.
Pour the mixture into the spring form pan.
Bake until the outside 2/3 of the cheesecake is set but there's still some jiggle in the center, about 60 minutes.
Open the oven door and leave the cheesecake in the cooling oven for about 15 min. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
Remove the cheesecake from the pan and refrigerate overnight.
Decoration: A covering layer of sweetened whipping cream, salted caramel drizzled in pattern of your choice and gingersnap crumbs around the edges of the cheesecake.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Salted Caramel Sauce (makes ~ 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch coarse salt (reduced from the 1 tsp recommended)
Heat the sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat and simmer it until it turns a medium amber colour. DO NOT STIR!!
Remove from heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream.
Return to heat and cook until smooth, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir in the butter.
Allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
Let cool and transfer to a glass jar or other lidded container and refrigerate.