Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Salted Caramel Food

PUMPKIN SPICE CHEESECAKE & SALTED CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF
• Grease a 7-inch springform pan.
• In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in the melted butter. Pour the mixture into the springform pan. With your hands or the bottom of a cup, press the crumbs flat against the bottom and then slightly up the sides of the pan (1/2 inch). Place the pan into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven heat to 325ºF.
• Arrange the oven racks so that one is on the bottom and the other is in the middle. Place a large casserole dish filled with hot boiling water into the oven on the bottom rack.
• Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt into a small saucepan on low-medium heat. Bring to a slow boil. Once boiling, cook for 5 minutes stirring continuously.
• Remove the pumpkin from the heat and place into a food processor. Pulse until smooth, 1 minute. Drizzle in the cream and pulse until combined, 10 seconds. Add the cream cheese and pulse until combined, 20 seconds. Add the eggs and pulse until combined, 15 seconds. Do not over mix the filling or you will incorporate too much air and the cheesecake will rise too high during baking, and then fall, leaving a crater in the middle.
• Pour the filling into the springform pan. Place in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Resist the urge to open the oven door. Once the cheesecake has cooked, turn off the oven, open the door and let the cheesecake cool for 60 minutes in the oven. Do not touch it. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, and gently remove the edge of the springform pan. Let it cool on the counter until room temperature. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
• To make the caramel sauce, place the sugar and water in a small saucepan on medium heat. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, do not stir until you add the cream. Let the sugar mixture boil until 350ºF or until it turns a caramel color, roughly 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low and slowly whisk in the cream and salt. Let the caramel bubble on the heat for a minute or two to thicken. Transfer to a storage container to let cool.
• To make the candied pecans, heat the butter and sugar in a frying pan on medium heat until it starts to bubble. Add the pecans and cook until they brown. Place onto a piece of parchment paper to cool.
• To make the whipped cream, add the heavy cream and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer that has been chilled. With the whisk attachment, whip until stiff peaks. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
• To assemble the cheesecake, remove it from the bottom of the springform pan and transfer to a serving plate or stand. Drizzle the cheesecake with the salted caramel. You may need to heat it up in the microwave for 10 seconds to get it to a more pourable consistency. With a whipped cream dispenser, a piping bag or a spoon, decorate the cheesecake with whipped cream. Place half of the candied pecans in the middle of the cake. Cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for 4 days.

PUMPKIN GINGERSNAP CHEESECAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For the pumpkin gingersnap cheesecake: In a food processor or blender, grind the gingersnaps until fine. Pour into a bowl and stir in the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until soft, scraping the sides once. Mix in the pumpkin, scraping the sides once or twice. Add the eggs 1 at a time, allowing them to mix in, then add the sour cream and mix. With the mixer on low, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Thoroughly scrape the bowl and mix to ensure everything is smooth and mixed in.
• Pour the filling into the pan, smoothing the top. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is no longer soupy but still slightly jiggly, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door just a hair and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• For the salted caramel sauce: Mix the brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Cook, while whisking gently, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate until needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Slice the cheesecake and top with the salted caramel sauce, whipped cream and chopped pecans.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH CARAMEL SWIRL

Steps:

• For Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F Finely grind ground cookies, pecans and sugar in processor.
• Add melted butter and blend until combined.
• Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
• For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light.
• Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to small bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate to use for topping.
• Add pumpkin, 4 tablespoons whipping cream, ground cinnamon and ground allspice to mixture in large bowl and beat until well combined.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined.
• Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan).
• Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes.
• Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake.
• Cool.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
• Bring remaining 3/4 cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature.
• Add remaining 5 tablespoons whipping cream to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.
• Press down firmly on edges of cheesecake to even thickness.
• Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly.
• Spoon caramel sauce in lines over cream cheese mixture.
• Using tip of knife, swirl caramel sauce into cream cheese mixture.
• (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.).
• Release pan sides from cheesecake.
• Spoon sour cream into pastry bag fitted with small star tip (do not stir before using).
• Pipe decorative border around cheesecake and serve.

PUMPKIN SPICE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan, or 300°F for a dark pan. Grease the pan with shortening and wrap bottom with foil to prevent leakage. Place a pan of hot water on the bottom shelf of the oven.
• Prepare the crust. In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons of sugar and the melted butter. Press the crumb mixture in the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Cool completely at room temperature.
• Prepare the filling. In a small bowl, mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, brandy and pumpkin; then set aside. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in the brown sugar and 2/3 cup of white sugar until smooth.
• Gradually beat in pumpkin mixture until smooth. On low speed, beat in 1 egg at a time just until blended.
• Pour filling into pan and bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. The cake is done when a small circle about 3 inches wide in the middle of the cheesecake wiggles when the pan is tapped with a wooden spoon.
• Turn oven completely off and allow the cheesecake to cool gradually for 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven, and using a knife, move between the cheesecake and the pan sides to loosen the cheesecake. Allow to cool at room temperature on a rack for an additional 30 minutes. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight before serving.
• To serve, again move along the inside of the pan sides with a knife, and then carefully remove the side. Top with whipped cream, pecan halves, and drizzle with caramel sauce. Cut into 16 slices. Store covered in refrigerator.