Introduction
I hope you didn't think I was going to let Thanksgiving pass you by without sharing a terrific dessert idea! This recipe comes, slightly adapted, from The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook. When I read their kitchen tips, I always find myself having an "aha moment" and wondering why I never think of any of these tricks. One of the things I really love about this recipe is the crust. Normally I wouldn't think twice about graham cracker crust, but this crust is a completely different story. It's been soooo good! So, what makes this crust so special? It's not just the cheesecake that's loaded with warm fall spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, it's the crust too.
Ingredients:
Crust
- 9 whole graham crackers, broken into rough pieces
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
- 1 1/2 lbs. (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks and softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
For the crust:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Pulse crackers, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a food processor until crackers are finely ground.
3. Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl, drizzle with melted butter, and mix with a rubber spatula until evenly moistened.
4. Empty crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan and press firmly and evenly into pan bottom, keeping sides as clean as possible.
5. Bake crust until fragrant and browned around the edges, about 15 minutes.
6. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
For the filling:
1. Whisk together sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt; set aside.
2. Line a baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels. Spread pumpkin, in an even layer, across paper towels and pat puree with several layers of paper towels to wick away the moisture.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until broken up and slightly softened, about 1 minute.
4. Scrape down bowl, then beat in sugar in 3 additions on medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl after each addition.
5. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat on medium speed until combined; scrape down bowl.
6. Reduce speed to medium-low, add eggs one at a time, and beat until incorporated.
7. Reduce speed to low, add heavy cream, and beat until combined. Give the filling a final stir by hand.
8. Pour the filling into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
9. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and bake until the cake center is slightly wobbly when the pan is shaken and the cake registers 150 degrees F, about 1 1/2 hours.
10. Let the cake fully cool, then refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Manchester
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