Oh, dear. Thanksgiving is one week away and you have not decided on dessert. You want something pumpkin but you don’t want that traditional pie? Just, just over it? Not sure what to do? From Sweet by Valerie Gordon here is a pumpkin dessert that goes above and beyond mere pie: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust. It’s a lovely recipe that, once tried, just might replace that pumpkin pie forever.
Okay, not forever. You could have both: pumpkin pie and this pumpkin cheesecake. It is a holiday. It is okay to celebrate with taste and just a bit of excess!
This is a very typical Valerie Gordon recipe. You don’t use canned pumpkin. You are going to need, golly, a real pumpkin. This is called baking from scratch and it’s a great idea. If you have kids, here’s where they start to learn to cook.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
Yield: one 11-inch cheesecake serving 10 to 14
Ingredients:
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups (6.5 ounces) finely ground gingersnap cookies
- 1 cup (3.5 ounces) raw almond flour
- ⅓ cup (1.66 ounces) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (1.5 ounces) light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick/2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- One 3- to 4-pound pumpkin, preferably Winter Luxury
- 1 pound cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (3 ounces) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (1.75 ounces) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) sour cream or crème fraiche
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon Spice Mix [recipe follows]
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Preparation:
To Make The Crust:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
Whisk together the ground cookies, flours, sugar, and ginger in a medium bowl. Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a fork. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake the crust for 12 minutes, or until slightly darker and set. Let cool completely on a cooling rack. (Leave the oven on.)
To Roast The Pumpkin:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a heavy chef’s knife, cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on the baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, until the flesh is very soft. Pierce the pumpkin with a fork to check for doneness. Let the pumpkin cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° F.
Scoop the pumpkin flesh out of the skin and puree in a food processor or blender, scraping down the sides once or twice. Reserve ¾ cup (6 ounces) of the puree for the filling. (The extra puree can be packed into a freezer Ziploc bag and frozen for up to 3 months.) Place a 9-inch pie or cake pan filled with 3 to 4 cups of water on the bottom rack of the oven.
To Make The Filling:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer), beat the cream cheese on medium- high speed until very smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for 1 minute. Add the sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and sour cream and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, spice mix, and vanilla paste and beat on medium-high until creamy and fluffy.
Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly on the gingersnap crust. Carefully pick up the tart pan and very gently tap it on the work surface to remove any air bubbles trapped in the batter. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the cheesecake puffs up like a soufflé and is firm around the edges. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack, about 3 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, before serving.
When ready to serve, remove the tart ring. Slide a hot offset spatula between the bottom of the pan and the cheesecake to release it and transfer to a serving platter.
Storing:
The cheesecake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Baking Tip:
Some recipes call for baking cheesecakes in a water bath, which reduces the chances of the cheesecake cracking. To reap the benefits of a steam water bath but to avoid the possibility of water seeping into the cake, place a pan filled with water or the lowest oven rack, just below your cheesecake.
Spice Mix
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 4 whole star anise
- 12 whole cloves
- 2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (2.5 ounces) ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground mace
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Preparation:
Combine the star anise, cloves, and white peppercorns in a coffee or spice grinder and pulse to a fine powder, about 3 minutes. Pour the spices into a small bowl, add the ground cinnamon, ginger, mace, and nutmeg, and combine with a small whisk or a fork.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Source: Sweet by Valerie Gordon [Artisan, 2013]