Layered Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake With Gingersnap Crust Recipes

PUMPKIN-CHEESECAKE PIE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

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.

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
• Mix the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, butter and salt together in a medium bowl until well blended. Press the mixture into the pie plate. Bake until set and the crust feels firm, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• To make the cheesecake filling: In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar and salt, mixing at low speed until the mixture is smooth with no lumps, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and eggs.
• Add the filling to the crust, smooth the top, and chill in the freezer until the filling is sturdy and set up, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• For the sweet potato topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Whisk in the sweet potatoes, half and half, butter, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Pour slowly over the chilled cheesecake filling.
• Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake, covering the edges with foil if it browns too quickly, until set along the outside and the center still has a slight jiggle, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating until ready to serve.

LAYERED PUMPKIN PIE CHEESECAKE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• To make the crust, use a food processor to crush the gingersnaps, then crush the pecans. Combine gingersnaps, pecans, brown sugar and butter in a bowl and stir well. Evenly spread and press onto the bottom and up the sides (about 1 inch up) of a 9 inch spring form pan. Heat oven to 300 degrees. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in 2 of the eggs, then stir in the toffee bits and carefully spread over crust. Clean out your bowl, or get a new one to make the pumpkin pie layer. Mix pumpkin, whipping cream, 2/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie seasoning, salt and 3 remaining eggs just until blended. Very carefully spoon pumpkin mixture over the cheesecake layer. Bake for 2 hours or until edge of the cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from the edge of the pan, but center still jiggles when moved. At that point, turn oven off and open the oven door at least 4 inches and leave the cheesecake in for 30 minutes. Run a spatula around the edge of pan and cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, carefully remove side of pan, running spatula along the edge if needed. Serve with whipped topping or whipped cream and a sprinkle of toffee bits or chopped pecans.

LAYERED PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300°F. Grease 9-inch springform pan with shortening or cooking spray. Wrap foil around pan to catch drips. In small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press crumb mixture in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed just until smooth and creamy; do not overbeat. On low speed, gradually beat in sugar. On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Spoon 3 cups of the cream cheese mixture into pan; spread evenly.
• Stir pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg into remaining cream cheese mixture; mix with wire whisk until smooth. Spoon over mixture in pan.
• Bake 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved.
• Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven; place on cooling rack. Without releasing side of pan, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake again; carefully remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate. Store cheesecake covered in refrigerator.

DOUBLE-LAYER PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor until ground. Add butter; pulse to blend. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of an ungreased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Refrigerate while preparing filling., For cheesecake layer, beat all ingredients until smooth. For pumpkin layer, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, sugar, pie spice and salt; gradually whisk in cream. Spread cheesecake mixture onto crust; cover with pumpkin mixture., Bake on a lower oven rack until filling is set, 55-65 minutes. Cool at least 1 hour on a wire rack; serve or refrigerate within 2 hours. If desired, top with whipped cream and pecans.