Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Thanksgiving is just a couple days away, and like every year, I am in charge of most of the sides and the desserts. I usually make two desserts and this year I decided to make a Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust & a Salted Caramel Apple Pie with Vanilla Bean Pastry Crust topped with Cinnamon Ice Cream. But... back to the cheesecake. This delicious cheesecake is like two famous Thanksgiving desserts, smashed into one. Almost every household has either a pecan pie or a pumpkin pie at their table during the holidays, so why not combine them together and make the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert. I actually doubled my recipe to make two cheesecakes, so we could enjoy one before (shh don't tell anyone), and my Mountain Man has already had three slices! The crust is perfectly cinnamon-y & crunchy... I like a really thick crust, so if you don't, then definitely reduce the cookie crumbs. The pecan pie filling is sweet, gooey, and nutty, which perfectly balances the more-savory & spicy pumpkin cheesecake layer. I know it may be short notice, but go and run to the grocery store now and buy all the ingredients to make this cheesecake, your friends and family will thank you!! Enjoy :)
Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
Beauty Shot of the Whole Cheesecake 
Layers of Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pecan Pie, & Thick Gingersnap Crust
For the Cookie Crust:
2 ½C Cookie Crumbs (I like Biscoff Cookies, Gingersnaps, or Cinnamon Graham Crackers)
¼C Sugar
1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted

For the Pecan Pie Filling:
1C Sugar
2/3C Dark Corn Syrup
1/3C Butter, Melted
2 Eggs
1 ½C Chopped Pecans
1t Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt

For the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Filling:
2 Blocks of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1 ¼C Sugar 
2T Sour Cream
1C Pure Pumpkin Puree
3 Large Eggs, Room Temperature & Separated
1T Cornstarch
½t Salt
1 ½t Vanilla Extract
1 ¼t Ground Cinnamon
½t Ground Ginger
Pinch of Ground Cloves

For the Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream:
½C Heavy Cream
1T Sugar
¼t Vanilla
1 ½t Bourbon 

Directions:
1. Prepping for the Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and position the rack in the center of the oven. Line a 10-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and spray with Pam, and set aside
2. For the Cinnamon Cookie Crust: Pulse the cookies in a food processor until they resemble a cookie crumble. Stir in the melted butter along with the brown sugar until well combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Cool on a rack, and then wrap the outside of the spring form pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.  Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, make the pecan pie filling.
3. For the Pecan Pie Filling: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat & simmer until thickened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the pecan pie filling into the crust and set aside.
4. For the Pumpkin Pie Filling: Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides, about 3 minutes. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, egg yolks, vanilla, cornstarch, salt, and all of the spices. Beat until just combined. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and then gently fold the whites into the cheesecake batter. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared spring form pan, on top of the pecan pie filling (making sure to smooth the top evenly). Gently the roasting pan with the cheesecake in it into the oven and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the spring form pan (this helps for even baking). Bake until the outside of each cheesecake sets in the center but is still loose (about 1 hour). Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for another 45 minutes to a hour (this step will help prevent cracking on the top). Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife along the outside edges to loosen it from the sides of pan. Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for at least 3-4 hours, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. 
5. For the Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream: Whip the cream in electric mixer, adding the sugar, vanilla, and bourbon as it starts to thicken. Continue whipping until soft peaks form, about 4-5 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. If your cheesecake happens to have any cracks in the top, the bourbon vanilla whipped cream is the perfect solution to cover them, and no one will ever know... shhhhh :)
6. Serving the Cheesecake: Bring the cheesecake to room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating. Serve with a dollop of the bourbon vanilla whipped cream.


12 comments:

  1. You've done it again! You're #1!!!

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  2. This looks amazing and I plan on making it for christmas eve, but I was wondering if this recipe makes 2 cheesecakes or one?

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  3. This recipe makes 1 cheesecake. The pecan pie layer takes up half the pan and the pumpkin cheesecake takes up the other half. However, if you do not like a very thick crust (like I love haha), you can reduce the crust to make it a little thinner or to your preference. Hope the recipe is a success, it was delicious at our holiday meal!

    XOXO,
    Juliana

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  4. yummy! I have been looking for this recipe for ages. I am planing to make it just because it sounds yummy and then make for the holidays of course this year. though i was wondering about the biscotti, not sure i can find that where i live but i will try though in your picture you say ginger snap crust, which is it though both would complement the dessert. Hmm i guess i could just make biscott then make the crust that good work or if i am being lazy i cood use cinnamon graham cracker.
    Thanks for the lovely recipe.

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    1. It is one of our holiday favorites! The cookie crust is really up to you. I actually just realized that it is supposed to be Biscoff Cookies... not biscotti! So, thank you for pointing that out! I have used both gingersnaps and Biscoff cookies for this crust, and one other time I found a yummy gourmet cinnamon cookie (although I cant remember the name) and that was delish as well! But, cinnamon graham crackers would be yummy and easy as well! Thanks for commenting, I hope it becomes a favorite for your family, as it has for ours! Enjoy :)

      XOXO,
      Juliana

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  5. What do you mean by "2 blocks of cream cheese" does that mean 2-(8 ounce) blocks of cream cheese???

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    Replies
    1. Yes, i mean two 8oz blocks of cream cheese, just the standard cream cheese square. But if you find bigger blocks, just make sure it adds up to 16oz and you'll be fine. And make sure that they are room temperature, so that they blended nicely and that there aren't any lumps in the creamy filling. I hope the recipe works for you... please let me know if you make it and how it works out :)

      XOXO,
      Juliana

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  6. Do you use brown sugar or white sugar in the crust? The ingredients list says just sugar, and the directions say brown sugar. Is brown sugar too sweet? or does it make it better?

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    Replies
    1. I have used both brown sugar and white sugar in this crust recipe, and they both worked out fine! I will say brown sugar caramelizes more, which means it can be super delicious, but on the flip side, can be overcooked and taste burnt if you don't watch it. Either way the cookies are sweet, but the sugar just adds a little more. I wouldn't worry too much about sweetness, I think you could even leave out the sugar and it wouldn't make much of a difference. I probably use regular, granulated sugar more often, but I did make a cookie crust today with brown sugar! Hope this helps :)

      XOXO,
      Juliana

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  7. Is it one cup or one can of pumpkin? Do you know how much that would be in grams?

    I can't get corn starch in the UK so I guess golden syrup would do?

    We also don't have graham crackers so I'm looking for an alternative!

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    Replies
    1. Hi there, it is one cup of pure pumpkin puree!! And I really don't know what it would be in grams :( I have never measured my recipes that way, but I know I should probably start doing that soon. And for cornstarch, I would say you need to substitute it with another thickener, such as rice flour, tapioca flour, or even all purpose flour could work in a pinch. I just can't believe y'all don't have cornstarch! I don't know how I'd make anything with out it! And no graham crackers?? That's even meaner. I have used gingersnap cookies, biscoff cookies, or any type of hard, molasses cookie could work as long as they will form breadcrumbs (and not be mushy). I hope that these answers help you out, please let me know how it goes :)

      XOXO,
      Juliana

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