Saturday, November 14, 2009

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust





I made this cheesecake for are school's annual Fall Festival last night. Several parents are asked to bring homemade desserts and they are sold at the concession stand. Cheesecake is always a quick sell-out and is a favorite of most people (except my husband and three of my children, I might add....crazy, huh?? :)

Gingersnap Crust
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.  Place all ingredients in food processor or blender, except butter. Grind mixture until nuts are finely ground.  Add butter and mix until well blended.  Transfer mixture to springform pan (which has been sprayed with cookie spray.).  Press mixture into bottom of pan and up the sides of the springform pan.  Bake for approximately 10 minutes.  Bring out and allow to cool.

Pumpkin Cheesecake 
4  8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups brown sugar
1  15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
5 large eggs
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed to incorporate each addition. Add flour, spices, and salt; beat just to blend. Beat in vanilla. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Bake until filling is just set in center and edges begin to crack (filling will move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool 1 hour. Run knife around sides of pan to release crust. Chill cheesecake several hours then remove ring.  Top with Cinnamon Cream amd Caramel.

Cinnamon Cream Topping
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Carmal ice cream topping

In small mixing bowl, pour whipping cream and mix with electric mixture until forms soft speaks. Add powdered sugar and blend well.  Add cinnamon.  Now, either spread over top of cheesecake OR place mixture into disposable icing bags, using and a large star tip to make large star shapes of cinnamon cream. Drizzle caramel across top of cheesecake and refrigerate until serving.

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