Creative Cooking with Southern Flair!
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
w/ Toasted Pecan Caramel
Ingredients
Crust
10 ounces club crackers
1/4 cup sugar
6 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Filling
3 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 ounces cream cheese room-temp
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs, room temp
Extra wide aluminum foil
Hand held mixer
Extra large round cake pan or roasting pan
Pecan Caramel Sauce
2 cups pecans
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup water
½ cup heavy cream room-temp
1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Crust
Pulse the crackers and sugar in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Drizzle in the melted butter while pulsing. Line the bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan with parchment paper and butter the sides. Pour crumbs into pan and spread over the bottom and up sides of pan. Press firmly to compact crumbs. Bake at 300F for 15 minutes. Remove and let come to room temperature.
Filling
Add pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, molasses & vanilla to a large bowl, mix and set aside.
Put the white chocolate and cream in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute, then microwave 30 more seconds. Stir again until completely smooth with no lumps. In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth and then add the warm white chocolate and beat until smooth again. Add the cream cheese mixture to pumpkin and beat until incorporated. Once completely cooled add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides after each addition. Pour into the cooled crust and smooth out the top. Place spring form pan in the center of the aluminum and fold up aluminum up the sides to prevent water from leaking in. Place inside the large round cake pan or roaster and fill with water to about halfway up the spring form pan.
Place oven rack one down from the center position and carefully place roaster pan in the oven. Bake at 300F for 1 hour and 45 minutes until the center is just a little wobbly. Remove and let cool 15 minutes in the hot water bath. Remove from hot water bath and let cool completely. Place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Remove from pan and place on a cake plate.
Pecan Caramel Sauce
Place pecans on cookie sheet and toast in oven at 350F until golden brown.
Add sugar, salt and water to a small sauce pan and heat over med-low until clear/dissolved. Do not stir.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook until liquid becomes a pale amber color, being careful not to burn. Remove from heat immediately, add the cream and butter and whisk. Whisk in the vanilla and pour into a bowl to cool. Pour cooled caramel over pumpkin cheesecake and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Serve chilled with whipped cream.