29 October 2007

Thanks for the Memories Pumpkin Cheesecake


We have left The Hills behind and life continues as normal once again. Monday is always hard to get back into the swing of things for us all I'm sure..if you have a Monday to Friday job that is. Today will be extra hard after leaving the spa behind and being catered to hand and foot.

In honour of our weekend together I have reposted one of my favourite recipes for pumpkin cheesecake. I love the gingersnap crust and the caramel sauce. Somewhere around here I have a recipe for a pumpkin cheesecake with Praline Sauce that I will post as well. If it is not here it will be...I just have to locate it. We had Pumpkin Cheesecake as one of our desserts at The Hills. We also had dinner one evening at the 1821 Restaurant where I had Cornmeal Crusted Shrimp Skewers with Butternut Squash Risotto.

It always seems that I wait until the autumn and with it the cooler weather to prepare this delicious cheesecake. It is definitely a comfort food with its creamy and fulfilling textures. This is one of those recipes I am asked for often and have developed over the years, marrying different recipes and coming up with the solution I prefer.

Photo was taken at the Red Barn Fruit Stand in Enderby, British Columbia. Pumpkin season has arrived!


**Pumpkin Cheesecake**

2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
3 T sugar
6 T butter, melted
*****
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin filling)
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tsp ground cinnamon
ground walnuts or pecan halves for decoration

******************

Preheat oven to 350F.
Place cookie crumbs, walnuts or pecans, and 3 T sugar in a food processor and pulse 3 - 4 times until combined; add butter and pulse 4 - 5 times, or until crumbly. Wrap the outside of a 10-inch spring form pan with aluminum foil, then press cookie mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Cool crust completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven heat to 325F.
Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed 3 minutes, or until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar and the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, beating 4 minutes, or until blended. Add vanilla.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Remove and set aside 1 cup of batter.
Add pumpkin, whipping cream, and cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat on low speed of an electric mixer just until blended. Do not over beat. Pour batter over prepared crust. Dollop reserved batter in a circular fashion and draw a knife through to create a marbled effect.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until almost set (it will jiggle in the centre). Remove from oven; run a knife around edge of pan. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour with a large bowl inverted on top of cheesecake in pan to prevent cracking.
Chill 8 hours or overnight. Garnish with walnut or pecan halves and serve with caramel sauce.

**Caramel Sauce**

1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 T light corn syrup
1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; add brown sugar and corn syrup, then cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Gradually add cream, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Best Blogger Tips

9 comments:

  1. Yum. It's worth making for that caramel sauce alone! Cheesecake is one of my true weaknesses - and pumpkin cheesecake is one of my mom's faves. I might have to make this for her!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow that picture of the pumpkins looks surreal!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh Valli the photo of the pumpkin patch stand is so great. Makes me want to take a trip up north. I do miss fall. It is still warm and humid down here and will be for awhile. Sounds like you have a wonderful spa weekend. Relaxation is what we all need to do every once in awhile and what a better way to relax than going to a spa and be pampered and have Pumpkin Cheesecake! I think I will try this recipe at Thanksgiving! That way I will not be tempted to eat the whole thing myself!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hhmmmm, Valli I LOVE pumpkin cheesecake. I can imagine the marbled look of your cheesecake. I think I would use maple sauce instead since my friend from Quebec gave me two cans of maple syrup.

    I'm glad to hear that you had a wonderful time at the retreat. With the holiday season approaching (yes, I know it's still October), I find it harder and harder to concentrate on work and all I can think of is taking a vacation...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Don't you hate coming off of vacation! Pumpkin cheesecake has always looked good to me and I want to try it some time...just need someone to eat it with me!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This sounds absolutely exquisite! I want a slice now!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This cheesecake sounds amazing Valli, so nice and the picture of the pumkin I love so.I will try and the childs will be happy... Gloria

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the pumpkin photo...the colors make me happy! :-) A slice of this cheesecake would make me even happier though, Valli...this sounds like a good one. And the caramel sauce is just the thing to take it over the top! :-) I'm so glad you enjoyed your spa weekend...you deserved every minute of it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I don't know what it is, but there's something about pumpkin that just makes things yummy and comforting - whether it's sweet or savory.

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

This blog uses comment moderation therefore SPAMMERS, SELF-PROMOTERS and ADVERTISERS will be deleted.