On Nov. 11, 2021, our local Veteran's Day Recognition Reception was back on the calendar after being skipped last year due to COVID regulations. I had had Pat's recipe in my "To Try" file for eons and cranked out enough to feed 150 guests (in the amount of 10 cheesecakes). It was DELICIOUS! I have posted my notes below the recipe. Caryn aka Wigs==>
PatMMember October 26, 2020 at 11:38 am
Rec: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Swirl
Pat’s notes: Fairly easy to make and soooo good, definitely a keeper. Was glad I set the springform pan on a cookie sheet as some butter oozed out during baking.More notes from second time I made it: It was still a little jiggly in the center when I pulled it but it firmed up nicely with refrigeration.
Didn’t do the sour cream rosettes and didn’t miss them. Loved the cream cheese topping and this time I just drizzled long lines of caramel over the top without swirling the caramel in. Great stuff. Guests were having seconds and thirds.Lots of 4-star Epi reviews: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/2635
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Swirl
Crust
1 1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
9 tablespoons whipping cream, DIVIDED--Use 4 Tbsp (aka 1/4 cup) in the filling/wigs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon (about) purchased caramel sauce
1 cup sour cream
For Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees 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 if using a 9-inch size). 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.Serves 10.Source: 11/93 Bon Appetithttps://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pumpkin-cheesecake-with-caramel-swirl-2635
Caryn's notes: I made the crust using Anna's ginger thins and in place of the pecans I used 1/4 heaping cup almond slices and 1/8 cup brown sugar and about 6 Tbsp unsalted melted butter (add enough until hour crumb mixture feels like wet sand).
I baked the cheesecake in a 10-inch cheesecake pan. Wrapped the outside of the pan in first a Reynold's turkey-sized oven baking bag that you just pull up a little way above the top sides of the pan followed by a wrapping of 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the oven bag and bake the cake in a water bath (boiling hot water) in a preheated 325-degree F oven for about 70 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 145 to 150 degrees. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cake sit in the water bath on a cooling rack for 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from the water bath and cool on rack on the counter for 2 to 4 hours and then refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours (overnight is best).
I did not put any whipping cream into the 3/4 cup reserved cream cheese mixture before spreading it on top of the chilled cheesecake. Like Pat, I didn't bother swirling the caramel into the cream cheese mixture, but just drizzled diagonal lines of caramel all over the top of the cake.
I DID do the sour cream rosettes--they were gorgeous and held up really well (remember NOT to stir the sour cream first as the recipe instructs).
PatMMember October 26, 2020 at 11:38 am
Rec: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Swirl
Pat’s notes: Fairly easy to make and soooo good, definitely a keeper. Was glad I set the springform pan on a cookie sheet as some butter oozed out during baking.More notes from second time I made it: It was still a little jiggly in the center when I pulled it but it firmed up nicely with refrigeration.
Didn’t do the sour cream rosettes and didn’t miss them. Loved the cream cheese topping and this time I just drizzled long lines of caramel over the top without swirling the caramel in. Great stuff. Guests were having seconds and thirds.Lots of 4-star Epi reviews: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/2635
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Swirl
Crust
1 1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
9 tablespoons whipping cream, DIVIDED--Use 4 Tbsp (aka 1/4 cup) in the filling/wigs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon (about) purchased caramel sauce
1 cup sour cream
For Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees 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 if using a 9-inch size). 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.Serves 10.Source: 11/93 Bon Appetithttps://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pumpkin-cheesecake-with-caramel-swirl-2635
Caryn's notes: I made the crust using Anna's ginger thins and in place of the pecans I used 1/4 heaping cup almond slices and 1/8 cup brown sugar and about 6 Tbsp unsalted melted butter (add enough until hour crumb mixture feels like wet sand).
I baked the cheesecake in a 10-inch cheesecake pan. Wrapped the outside of the pan in first a Reynold's turkey-sized oven baking bag that you just pull up a little way above the top sides of the pan followed by a wrapping of 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the oven bag and bake the cake in a water bath (boiling hot water) in a preheated 325-degree F oven for about 70 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 145 to 150 degrees. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cake sit in the water bath on a cooling rack for 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from the water bath and cool on rack on the counter for 2 to 4 hours and then refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours (overnight is best).
I did not put any whipping cream into the 3/4 cup reserved cream cheese mixture before spreading it on top of the chilled cheesecake. Like Pat, I didn't bother swirling the caramel into the cream cheese mixture, but just drizzled diagonal lines of caramel all over the top of the cake.
I DID do the sour cream rosettes--they were gorgeous and held up really well (remember NOT to stir the sour cream first as the recipe instructs).