Pumpkin Cheesecake With Gingersnap And Hazelnut Crust Recipes

Steps:

• For the pumpkin gingersnap cheesecake: In a food processor or blender, grind the gingersnaps until fine. Pour into a bowl and stir in the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until soft, scraping the sides once. Mix in the pumpkin, scraping the sides once or twice. Add the eggs 1 at a time, allowing them to mix in, then add the sour cream and mix. With the mixer on low, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Thoroughly scrape the bowl and mix to ensure everything is smooth and mixed in.
• Pour the filling into the pan, smoothing the top. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is no longer soupy but still slightly jiggly, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door just a hair and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• For the salted caramel sauce: Mix the brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Cook, while whisking gently, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate until needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Slice the cheesecake and top with the salted caramel sauce, whipped cream and chopped pecans.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
• Using a fork, combine gingersnaps, hazelnuts, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and melted butter. Press mixture onto the bottom and two inches up the sides of the pan to form the crust.
• With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin. Mix in the cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth.
• Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, or until center of cheesecake is set. Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse gingersnaps and sugar in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add butter and pulse to combine. Press mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake crust until golden in spots, about 15 minutes. With the bottom of a measuring cup, gently flatten bottom and sides of crust. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Filling: Pulse cream cheese in food processor until smooth. Add sugar and pumpkin and process until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Add egg and yolk, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; process until incorporated.
• Pour filling into cooled shell and bake until custard is just set, about 33 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Meringue: Combine sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl. Set bowl over (not in) a pan of simmering water, whisking until sugar dissolves and whites are warm. Remove from heat. Beat on high speed until thick, glossy stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large leaf tip (such as Ateco #115). Pipe leaves around border of chilled pie, releasing pressure to create tips. Holding a small kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle, 3 inches from surface of meringue, move flame back and forth over meringue until it starts to brown. (Or broil 6 to 8 inches from heat source, about 1 minute.) Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter with the crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt and the spices and beat until just combined. Pour into the cooled crust.
• Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door briefly to let out some heat. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove the springform ring. To finish, place a dollop of the whipped cream on each slice and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To make the crust, combine the gingersnap crumbs with the melted butter and toss together until the mixture holds together when pressed. Add an additional tablespoon of melted butter if necessary. Pat evenly over the bottom and halfway up the sides of 8 ( 4 1/2-inch) tartlet pans. Bake about 7 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the grated ginger in a fine sieve set over a small bowl and press against it to extract the juice. Set aside the ginger juice and discard the pulp. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, brown sugar, spices and salt. Beat until creamy and well-combined. Beat in the ginger juice and the pumpkin puree. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each until blended but being careful not to over-beat. Pour the filling into the tartlet pans and bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until the center is just firm to the touch. Cool to room temperature then chill at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Heat butter and sugar in a saucepan until butter melts. Meanwhile, line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a 12-by-20-inch sheet of foil so it hangs over the long sides of the pan (you'll use this as a 'handle' to pull the cooked dessert from the pan). Arrange graham crackers over foil-lined pan bottom, cutting the final few with a knife so they'll fit snugly. Pour butter mixture over crackers; spread with knife to cover. Bake until butter-sugar mixture starts to harden, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees.
• As crust bakes, heat pumpkin, 1 1/4 cups brown sugar and spices in a medium pan over medium-high heat until mixture is sputtery hot. Process eggs on high speed in a blender. Transfer pumpkin to a pourable container. With blender running, slowly add pumpkin mixture; puree until smooth. Add cream cheese, one block at a time; puree until smooth. Pour mixture over crust; bake until set, about 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and vanilla. Remove cheesecake from oven. Pour sour cream mixture evenly over top; carefully spread so top is completely covered. Return to oven. Bake to set topping, about 5 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate (can be made up to 2 days ahead).
• To serve, run a knife around the pan perimeter to loosen cake. Use foil handles to pull cake from pan. Cut into squares (up to 15) and garnish with optional pecans.