Recipe compliments of Rick and Lynne
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Cuisine: American Type: Dessert Serves: 12
Source:
America's Test Kitchen
Attributes:
Comments:
Serving Suggestions:
This recipe had a Brown Sugar and Bourbon Whipped Cream topping with it, but I could not access the recipe.
Ingredients:
Crust:

9 Graham crackers, broken into bits
3 tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
6 tbs. butter, melted

Cheesecake:

1-1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. table salt
15 oz can pumpkin pie filling
1-1/2 lbs. cream cheese at room temperature
1 tbs. vanilla extract
1 tbs. lemon juice
5 eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions:
1. Make the graham cracker crust. Pulse the crackers in a food processor until they become fine crumbs -- about 15 2-second pulses.

2. Add the spices to the sugar and whisk until well combined. Add the sugar mixture to the crumbs and pulse until well combined. Pour into a bowl.

3. Fold in the melted butter gently until well combined.

4. Prepare a 9" springform pan, ideally non-stick, with some vegetable oil spray. Pour the crust into the pan and press down evenly to cover the bottom. Use a ramekin bottom to press the crumbs and form a dense crust. Use a spoon to press around the edges and even the crust.

5. Bake in a 325° F oven on a rack in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

6. To make the cheesecake filling: whisk the sugar, spices and salt together in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.

7. Remove excess moisture from the pumpkin pie filling by spreading the pumpkin evenly over a triple-thick layer of paper towels in a sheet pan. Cover with a layer of triple-thick paper towels and using your hands, press down on the paper towels to extract water from the pumpkin. You may extract as much as 4 ounces of water doing this. When done, gently roll the pumpkin off the towels.

8. Put the cream cheese in a stand mixer with a standard mixing blade (not bread or whisk). MIx on medium low until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times.

9. Add the sugar mixture 1/3 at a time. Blend 1 minute on medium low speed, scrape down the bowl, add 1/3 sugar, blend 1 minute, scrape, repeat. Add the pumpkin, vanilla and lemon juice and blend 1 minute to combine. Scrape down the bowl. Add 3 eggs, blend 1 minute, scrape down the bowl. Add remaining 2 eggs, blend 1 minute, scrape down the bowl. Add heavy cream, blend on low until combined and then on medium for 1 minute.

10. Tightly wrap the springform pan with a double layer of foil because it needs to be watertight. Place the pan in a roasting pan and then pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crust. Move to a 325° F oven. Add boiling water to the roasting pan to create a water bath for the springform pan.

11. Cook for 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 145° to 150° F. Don't allow it to go any higher than this. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the water bath for 1 hour. Remove from the water bath and place on a cooling rack for 3 hours. (Remove the foil.) Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

12. Remove from the springform pan and place on a platter. Serve with whipped cream.

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2010-11-18