Pumpkin Cheesecake with Walnut-Ginger Crust and Caramel Sauce

From Yankee Magazine — November 2004

From Best New England Recipes — November 2004

Cakes and Frostings Recipes

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 3 hours

Yield: 10 servings; 1-1/2 cups sauce

At this very traditional time of year, spice things up with a new dessert that offers the familiar flavors of Thanksgivings past, but with a new twist.

The Recipe:

• 2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 3 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin-pie filling), such as One-Pie brand
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
• Caramel Sauce (see accompanying recipe)
• Toasted walnut halves

Preheat oven to 350°. Place cookie crumbs, walnuts, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times until combined. Add butter and pulse 4 or 5 times, or until crumbly.

Wrap the outside of a 10-inch springform pan or six 4-inch mini pans with aluminum foil; then press cookie mixture into the bottom and a bit up the sides. Bake 8–10 minutes.

Cool crust completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven heat to 325°.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes, or until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar and the remaining ¾ cup sugar, beating 4 minutes, or until blended.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yolk is blended. Add pumpkin, cream, and spice. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer just until blended. Don’t overbeat. Pour batter over prepared crust.

Bake 1 hour 15 minutes (or about 40 minutes if you’re making minis), or until almost set (it will still jiggle in the center). Remove from oven; run a knife around edge of pan. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour. Chill 8 hours or overnight.

Garnish with walnut halves. Top with Caramel Sauce and serve.

Caramel Sauce

• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup; then cook, stirring continuously, until mixture comes to a boil.

Gradually add cream, stirring continuously. Cook, stirring continuously, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

Comments

Allow time to chill.

If you don’t have pumpkin-pie spice, substitute 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice.

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