Pumpkin Cheesecakes (Bake the Day Before)

Pumpkin, Caramel & Pecan Cheesecake

Makes 16 servings in a large pan. Cut in squares to serve with a dollop of whipped cream on the side.

• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, divided
• 38 gingersnaps, finely crushed (1-1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 25 Kraft Caramels + 1/4 cup milk (or jar of caramel sauce)
• whipped cream

1. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3. In medium bowl, mix well: 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1-1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs, 1/4 cup melted butter. Press onto bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan.
4. In large mixer bowl blend: 4 pkgs cream cheese and sugar. Add 15 oz. pumpkin puree, 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp vanilla, mix well.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
6. Pour pumpkin mixture over crust.
7. Bake 45 minutes or until centre is almost set. Remove from oven and let cool completely in pan on a rack.
8. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
9. Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on High setting, stirring every 30 seconds, for 1-1/2 minutes, or until caramels are completely melted. (Or use prepared caramel sauce.)
10. Cut cold cake into squares and spoon custard sauce over individual servings of cheesecake. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Topping

Use a 9" (23 cm) springform pan.

Prepare the cake a day before you plan to serve it, as it needs to sit in the fridge several hours.

Crust:
1-1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 mL) ground pecans (or walnuts or almonds)
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (125mL) butter

Filling:
2 pkgs (250 g each) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
14 oz or 398 mL pure pumpkin puree
2 tsp. (10 mL) corn starch
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) ground ginger
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) pure vanilla extract
3 whole eggs and 1 egg white (reserve the yolk)

Topping:
1/2 cup (75mL) packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup (125 mL) evaporated milk
3 tbsp. (45 mL) butter
1/2 cup nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds)

Make the Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  (180 C)
Combine flour, brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.
Cut in butter till mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.
Press mixture onto bottom of springform pan and 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides.
Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

While the Crust is Baking, Make the Filling:
Beat softened cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer.
Gradually beat in sugar, pumpkin, and a mixture of  corn starch, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla.
One at a time, beat in whole eggs and the egg white.
When mixture is smooth, pour into baked crust.
Bake in 350 degree (180 C) oven 60-65 minutes or until center feels slightly firm to touch.  Turn off oven and let cheesecake stand in the warm oven for half an hour (30 min.)

While the cake is standing in the oven, make the topping: 
In a heavy-based pot, combine the brown sugar with the egg yolk reserved from the filling.
Stir in the evaporated milk and butter.
Cook over medium heat, stirring all the while, until thickened (about 7 minutes).
Stir in nuts.

When the cake has stood in the turned-off oven for 30 minutes, remove it and place on a cooling rack.
Spread the topping gently over the top.
Refrigerate overnight.
Before serving, take the sides off the springform pan.  Place cake, still on its base, on a plate to cut and serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust for Queen Elizabeth II

This is one of three cakes I made for a group birthday party  on Hallowe'en night. Five of us have birthdays near Hallowe'en, so we had chocolate cake, a white cake with raspberry gelatin glaze, and a pumpkin cheesecake with a crumbled ginger cookie crust, decorated with a chocolate spider net (drizzle some melted chocolate on top to make a net design.) The dinner seemed superfluous and next time we should just get together for dessert.

This cake was served to Queen Elizabeth II of England when she visited Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1984 and dined at the Dubrovnik Restaurant.  The Queen ate three quarters of her portion of this dessert, "...a sure sign of success, since the Queen has a small appetite," according to the blurb accompanying the recipe, published in the September 1989 issue of Homemaker's magazine.

I have made this with a can of ED Smith pumpkin pie filling instead of  homemade pumpkin puree + pumpkin pie spice. Another shortcut is to use canned pumpkin puree.

Ikea sells very good gingersnaps so I get them there instead of making my own. Crush them in your food processor, blender, or between sheets of parchment paper with a rolling pin.

• 1 cup (250 ml) crushed gingersnap cookies
• 3 tbsp. (45 ml) melted butter
• 1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) brown sugar
• 1 lbs. (1 kg) cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/2 cups (375 ml) sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) flour
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) pumpkin pie spice
• 1 can (14 oz/398 ml) pumpkin
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) light rum (I substitute milk)
• 1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream for topping

1. Combine crushed gingersnaps, melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Press into the base of a lightly greased 9" (23 cm) springform cake pan. Pat firmly. Chill.
2. Beat softened cream cheese with electric mixer till fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
3. Gradually beat in flour, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin and rum.
4. Pour batter over crust. Bake in preheated 325 degree F oven for 1 -1-1/4 hours, or until filling is set. Set the cake in its pan on a wire rack to cool for 1 hour. Then refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove from pan.
5. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

King Arthur's Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake

A recipe from the makers of King Arthur flour.

Bake in a greased 10" springform pan. Use a baking thermometer to test for doneness. Make early in the morning or the day before you want to serve the cake as chilling time is required.

Crust:

• 1-1/4 cups (191 g) gingersnap cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ginger
• 2 Tbsp (28 g) light OR dark brown sugar, packed
• 4 Tbsp melted butter

Filling:

• three 8 oz pkgs (680g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1-3/4 cups (347 g) white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/4 cup (28 g) all purpose flour
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (227 g) pumpkin puree
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (113 g) sour cream, at room temperature

Instructions:

1. Take cream cheese, eggs and sour cream from the fridge and leave on the counter to reach room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Lightly grease a 10" round springform pan.
4. Make the crust, combining all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulsing until evenly mixed.
5. Press crust ingredients into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, and up the sides of the pan at least 1 inch high.
6. Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F, just until you can smell the gingersnaps.
7. Remove the pan from the oven onto a cooling rack.
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
9. In a large mixing bowl, blend room temperature cream cheese on low speed for a few minutes, until no lumps remain.
10.  Add sugar, flour, spices. Mix 2 to 3 more minutes, stopping mixer at least twice to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
11. Add vanilla and pumpkin. Mix to combine.
12. Add room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg is added.
13. Remove bowl from mixer. Stir in sour cream by hand.
14. Pour mixture on top of the cooked crust in the pan.
15. Bake in preheated 300 degree F. oven for 50 to 60 minutes. The cake is ready when the centre of the cake is still a bit wobbly but a baking thermometer placed an inch from the side of the cake reads 170 degrees F.
16. Turn off the oven, prop open the door, and allow the cake to slowly cool in the oven for one hour.
17. Remove the cake from the oven. Chill lightly covered, for 4 to 8 hours before serving.