3 layer pumpkin cheesecake on a gingersnap crust.
Press and bake the gingersnaps in a greased springform mold for 10 minutes at 350F, and let cool completely.
Ginger Snaps
Ingredients
- 9.5 oz AP flour (270g just under 2 cups)
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground clove
- 1/2 tsp salt Use 1/8 tsp if using salted butter
- 7 oz dark brown sugar (200g aprox 1 cup - 2 tbsp) See #1
- 5 oz unsalted butter, room temp (5/8 cup)
- 3 oz molasses (by weight, or 1/4 cup) See #2
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger See #3
- 4 oz finely chopped candied ginger See #3
- Optional small, shallow bowl of sugar for rolling balls of dough before baking.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, clove and salt.
- Place the brown sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until light and fluffy, approx 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the molasses, egg and fresh ginger and beat on medium for 1 minute.
- Add the crystallized ginger and using a rubber spatula, stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined.
- With a 2-teaspoon sized scoop, drop the dough onto a parchment lined half sheet pan approximately 2-inches apart.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 12 minutes for slightly chewy cookies or 15 minutes for more crisp cookies. Rotate the pan halfway through cooking.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to stay on the sheet pan for 30 seconds before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with all of the dough.
- Store in an airtight container for up 10 days. If desired, you may scoop and freeze the cookie dough on a sheet pan and once frozen, place in a resealable bag to store. Bake directly from the freezer as above.
Notes
- Dark brown sugar has around 2x the molasses of regular brown sugar. To make this with just white + molasses, we want approx 1.5 tbsp molasses to 180g of white sugar (approx 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp).
- Density of molasses is approximately 1.45, so 3 oz = 85 g /1.45g/ml = 61 ml, which is 1/4 cup. MATH!
- Sub 1/2 tsp for the fresh ginger, and another 1/2 tsp for the candied plus you likely want to roll the dough balls in sugar.
Make a 1/2 batch of the filling for the Pumpkin Cheesecake
Make 1/2 batch without the brown sugar, spice, or pumpkin puree (regular cheesecake)
Layers from bottom to top:
Gingersnap -> pumpkin cheesecake -> regular cheesecake -> leave 1/2″ room for adding the pumpkin custard after the cheesecake is baked and fully cooled.
Let chill and finish setting in the refrigerator before serving.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
Filling
- 4 8oz packages cream cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
- Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of prepared pan. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes.
- Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy; about 3 minutes.
- Add in eggs, pumpkin and heavy cream, mix until fully incorporated; scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and mix until well combined.
- Pour batter into prepared crust. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.
- Bake 60 minutes, the edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it. At this point, crack the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour.
- Carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, place it into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before removing and decorating or just serving as is.
Notes
I'm using a pre-made graham cracker pie crust today (2022-10-24).
I also used a 7" diameter springform pan, which is about 60% the size of a 9"
Pumpkin custard
Ingredients
- 1 cup 10% cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 - 1 cup pumpkin puree I'll finalize this soon.
- 1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin spice mix See below
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium heat.
- Immediately turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and set aside.
- Whisk egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk 1/4 cup hot cream and cornstarch, until perfectly smooth.
- Add the cornstarch mix to the eggs, and keep whisking.
- Add 1/4 cup of the hot cream at a time, constantly whisking.
- Pour the mixture through a strainer into the saucepan on med-high heat.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree, and bring to a boil, constantly whisking.
- Keep whisking until the mixture comes to a slow boil.
- Remove from heat, stir in the butter.
- Let stand 5 minutes, cover with clingwrap pressed against the entire surface, and chill at least 2 hours.
Notes
https://thedailybear.ca/pumpkin-spice