A Short Story about Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust and Warm Bourbon Praline Sauce
As many of my followers know, my mother ran a restaurant in Houston, TX, during the 1980-1990s. In addition to the excellent sandwiches and salads, desserts were a well-known specialty. During the Holidays, the restaurant would get overwhelmed by special orders for cakes, pies, and other holiday treats. At Thanksgiving, desserts were in high demand, particularly the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust which was time-consuming to prepare.
In hopes of slowing the flood orders, my mother raised the price of the Pumpkin Cheesecakes from $40 to $65 per cheesecake. Her scheme, however, backfired, and the orders for the Pumpkin Cheesecake quadrupled. People reasoned that a $40 cheesecake was fantastic in those days, but a $65 cheesecake must be out of this world, and everyone had to have one. So we ended up making Pumpkin Cheesecakes around the clock to fill the high demand.
Cooks tips:
- You can make your own Old World Gingersnap Cookies or purchase your favorite brand (Whole Foods 365 Ginger Snap Cookies are great) to use in this recipe. (Adding a little bit of extra sugar helps keep the cookie crumbs from clumping)
- When making any cookie crust for cheesecakes, freeze the crust to solidify the butter (after mixing the crumbs with butter/sugar). In addition, the frozen crust is easier to deal with when adding the filling.
- The Warm Bourbon Praline Sauce is great on this cheesecake but is also great as a topper for ice cream or Crepes Kovacs. Add a tablespoon of your favorite bourbon or whiskey for another layer of flavor.
- To make clean slices, use a long, thin sharp knife heated in a pitcher of boiling water. (You can also use a baker’s propane torch.) Using a dry towel, clean off the water and cut. Reheat the knife in hot water and clean between cuts.
- Don’t use pumpkin pie filling for this recipe. That type of pie filling is already spiced and sweetened—this recipe contains honey and spices. If you only have pumpkin pie filling available, leave out the sweetener and spices.
You don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving or Christmas for this delicious cheesecake and sauce. Make it now! It’s good any time of the year. Instead of using the optional Bourbon Praline Sauce, my mom’s restaurant garnished with little marzipan orange pumpkins and green marzipan leaves dotted around the edge.
Use either this homemade Old World Gingersnap Cookies Recipe or purchase your favorite brand from the store.
Using your hands, break up the cookies and add to a food processor, then grind the cookies with a large chopping blade.
Pour the finely ground gingersnaps into a large mixing bowl. Make more gingersnap crumbs than you need. I like a thin crust while others prefer a thicker one.
Melt the butter.
Pour the melted butter into the ground gingersnaps. If you have softened room temperature butter, this will work as well.
Using a spoon, thoroughly mix the gingersnaps.
Use Baker’s Joy or vegetable spray to coat the insides of a 9″ inch springform pan.
Using a spoon gets better results than using hands. Spread about half of the gingersnap crumb mixture along the bottom of the pan, use just enough cookie crumbs to cover the bottom of the pan completely.
Once the bottom of the crust is level, please place it in the freezer for 10 minutes. The cold will solidify the butter in the gingersnap crust.
Remove the crust from the freezer, and use your fingers to spread out the remaining cookie crumbs. Push and squeeze the gingersnaps on the side of the springform pan. Use a spoon to make the crust smooth. When starting, you might find it easier to make a thicker crust. Keep working at this and other types of cookie crusts, and eventually, you will get there.
Use the tip of the spoon to get an even crust along the edge. Notice the nice thin or tight corners of the crust. Don’t go too thick. Freeze the crust again for 10-15 minutes to set up the sides. Place the cheesecake crust on a sheet pan and place it into the freezer. There’s no need to bake the gingersnap cookie crust since the cookies have already been baked. Reserve frozen. Meanwhile, start on the pumpkin cheesecake filling.
Add softened cream cheese to a mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
Add the honey to the cream cheese. (*Pro tip: Spray the measuring cup with non-stick vegetable spray to help get the honey out of the cup quickly.)
Mix on medium speed and incorporate the honey into the cream cheese.
Add the plain pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) and mix it into the cream cheese mixture.
Next, add the spices and mix it into the pumpkin cheese mixture.
To this, add the cornstarch to give body to the cheesecake.
(*Tip Crack the eggs into a small dish or cup separately to make sure you don’t have eggshells.)
With the mixer set at medium, incorporate each egg, one at a time. Beat the first egg in for 45 seconds before adding the second.
Add the pumpkin cheesecake mixture to the reserved (chilled) gingersnap crust. Place on a standard half-sheet pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F/177°C. *Very important to cook the cheesecake on a sheet pan. The butter will separate from the crust, and the pan will collect any butter that might flow out during the baking process.
While the cheesecake is baking, make the Bourbon Praline Sauce. (Optional)
Next, prepare the sour cream/crème fraîche topper by adding vanilla and sugar to a mixing bowl. If you have a choice of sour cream, go with the thicker variety. Reserve
To get a level cheesecake, allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for 1 hour after baking (with residual heat only). The gentle heat will penetrate the center gently and result in a light and fluffy cheesecake.
Reheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and add the sour cream/crème fraîche topper to the cheesecake. Bake the cheesecake for an additional 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Release the springform.
Use a water pitcher filled with boiling tap water to soak the knife before slicing. Make sure to wipe the water off the blade before cutting. Repeat this process with each slice to get a perfect cut through the cheesecake.
Make a slice through the cheesecake with the heated blade. The piece should come out cleanly.
Notice that the cheesecake has not collapsed in the center. This cheesecake is full of flavor with a light and fluffy texture.
Drink pairings: Loads of freshly brewed hot coffee, strong tea, pink champagne, or Riesling.
Gingersnap Pumpkin Cheesecake with Warm Praline Sauce
Equipment
- 9 inch Springform pan
- food processor for grinding cookies into crumbs
- baking sheet pan
- cooling rack
- stand or hand mixer
- 4-qt saucepan
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- high temperature rubber spatula
- whisk
- mixing bowls (assorted sizes)
- sharp thin slicing knife
Ingredients
Gingersnap Cookie Crust
- 1½ cups gingersnap cookies, crushed for thin crust (add more if you wish a thicker crust) Homemade Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
- ¼ cup granulated or caster sugar
- ⅓ cup butter, good quality / melted or very soft
Pumpkin Cheese Cake
- 1½ lbs cream cheese, softened (3 boxes, 8 oz each) Neufantel cheese works great as well.
- 1 cup honey (Preferably Acacia honey, but Alfalfa, Fireweed, Clover, Avocado, Aster and Beechwood varieties work as well)
- 5 oz evaporated milk
- 15 oz pumpkin puree (plain-not sweetened)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature, and beat in one at a time
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (if you use store-bought ground nutmeg use ½ tsp.)
- ⅛ tsp ground clove
Sour Cream Topper
- 1 cup sour cream, store-bought or homemade (alternatives Mexican sour cream or thick French crème fraîche)
- ¼ cup sugar, granulated
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Warm Bourbon Praline Sauce
- 1 cup Warm Bourbon Praline Sauce (optional) Warm Bourbon Praline Sauce Recipe
Instructions
Making the Gingersnap Cookie Crust
- Break up the gingersnap cookies in your hands and place them into a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse until a coarse cookie meal has formed.
- Remove from the processor into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then, using your hands, work the melted/softened butter into the ground cookies crumbs.
- Set a 9-inch springform pan on a sheet pan and spray the springform pan with vegetable spray. Optional, and I'll admit overkill (safety) to get the crust to release from the pan after cooking.
- Using your hands, press the cookie crumb crust into the springform pan. Work the crumbs to cover the bottom of the pan entirely in a thin layer and freeze for 10 minutes. (If you desire a thicker crust, use more.)
- After the bottom layer of the cheesecake, the crust has firmed up, add the remaining buttery cookie crumbs and work the mixture up the sides of the springform pan. Take a spoon and evenly smooth out the bottom and sides of the crust to make a uniform thickness. Take your time here. Place the formed crust on a sheet pan.
- Carefully place the springform pan (along with the sheet pan) in the freezer. Freeze for 15 minutes or until the crust is firm and set up. Reserve frozen until needed.
Making the Sour Cream Topper
- Add the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla to another mixing bowl. Whisk together until incorporated. Reserve and keep cold.
Making the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling & Baking
- Preheat oven to (350°F or 177°C).
- Add the softened cream cheese and honey to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese/sugar mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the evaporated milk and pumpkin puree. Mix until thoroughly combined on medium speed.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for 45 seconds before adding the second egg. Next, beat the second egg for the same amount of time.
- Add the cornstarch, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground clove in a separate mixing bowl. Run the mixer on low and pour the spices/cornstarch into the pumpkin/cheesecake mixture. Continue mixing on low until everything is well incorporated.
- Pour the pumpkin cheesecake batter into the reserved gingersnap crust and place the cheesecake on the sheet pan and place it into the 350°F/177°C oven on the center rack. Bake for 55-60 minutes.
- After approximately 1 hour, turn the heat off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional hour. The residual heat will gently set the cheesecake filling in the center. Otherwise, the top of the cheesecake will collapse when it's cooled. IF this happens, the cheesecake is still delicious, just not at its full potential.
- Remove the cheesecake after 1 hour. Reserve
- Turn the heat back on to 350°F/177°C.
- Spoon on the Sour Cream/Crème Fraîche Topper to the cheesecake and return to the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes. The extra baking time will set the Sour Cream/Crème Fraîche Topper.
- Remove cheesecake from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Allow cooling for 15 minutes minimum.
- To remove the outer ring of the cheesecake, take a thin knife and run it around between the crust and the outer ring of the pan to loosen. Be careful and make sure your blade can move around the cheesecake. Next, undo the restraining clip of the ring and carefully remove the outer ring. (If the crust sticks in some, areas use the thin knife to separate and lightly push the crust back onto the cheesecake.)
- Allow to cool thoroughly for another 1 hour before attempting to slice. For best results chill the cheesecake overnight.
Final Garnish and Slicing
- To get those uber clean slicing lines, fill a pitcher with very hot tap water.
- Place your slicing knife in the pitcher and allow the blade to become hot.
- Wipe off the water and make a slice. Repeat this process with each cut.
- Place a slice of the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust on the center of a serving plate. Top the cheesecake with Warm Bourbon Praline Sauce (Optional) and serve.