Crunchy-Top Pumpkin Cheesecake

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

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Photography by Peter Chou and Christopher Campbell

This recipe makes 12 servings

Nutritional Info
Per serving: about	-
cal	384384 cal
pro	6 g6g pro
total fat	26 g26g total fat
sat. fat	13 g13g sat. fat
carb	34 g34g carb
fibre	1 g1g fibre
chol	117 mg117mg chol
sodium	260 mg260mg sodium
% RDI:	-
calcium	1313 calcium
iron	77 iron
vit A	8686 vit A
vit C	22 vit C
folate	88 folate

Welcome a dramatic new dessert to your fall table this year. Our creamy pumpkin cheesecake, glowing russet brown with easy-to-make caramel topping or shards, will add pizzazz to a bountiful feast.

Ingredients

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs , (about 9 large cookies)1 1cup cupgingersnap cookie crumbs, (about 9 large cookies)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans 1/2 1/2cup cupfinely chopped pecanpecans
1/4 cup butter , melted1/4 1/4cup cupbutter, melted
2 pkg (each 8 oz/250 g) cream cheese , softened2 2pkg (each 8 oz/250 g) pkg (each 8 oz/250 g)cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 3/4cup cupgranulated sugar
3 eggs 3 3eggeggs
1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 1/2cup cupsour cream
1-1/2 cups pumpkin purée 1-1/2 1-1/2cups cupspumpkin purée
1 tsp cinnamon 1 1tsp tspcinnamon
1 tsp vanilla 1 1tsp tspvanilla
1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 1/2tsp tspground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 1/2tsp tspnutmeg
1 pinch ground cloves 1 1pinch pinchground cloves
1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 1/3cup cuppacked brown sugar

Preparation

1. Grease 9-inch (2.5 L) springform pan; line side with waxed or parchment paper. Centre pan on square of heavy-duty foil; press to side of pan.

2. In bowl, combine cookie crumbs, pecans and butter; press evenly over bottom of pan. Bake in centre of 350F (180C) oven for 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool on rack.

3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese with granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; beat in sour cream. Beat in pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg and cloves; pour over crust smoothing top.

4. Place pan in roasting pan; pour in enough hot water to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) up sides of pans. Bake in centre of 350F (180C) oven for about 50 minutes or until edge is puffed and centre is just set.

5. Turn oven off; let cool in water bath in oven, with door closed, for 1 hour. Remove pan from water. Remove foil; let cool completely in pan on rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until chilled, or for up to 24 hours. Score into 12 servings.

On greased foil-lined baking sheet, trace 9-inch (23 cm) circle; with spatula, spread brown sugar evenly over circle.

6. With oven door ajar and watching closely, broil sugar for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbling and starting to darken, rotating pan to melt evenly. With greased knife, immediately cut into 12 triangles; let harden. To serve, break along cuts; with tips at centre, stand long edge of each at 45-degree angle on scored lines.

Additional information :

TIP: Instead of garnishing cake with caramel shards, you can make a simple glossy topping. Place chilled cake on baking sheet; remove pan and paper. Pat top dry; press brown sugar through fine sieve evenly onto cake. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes as directed. Chill for at least 1 hour or until firm, or for up to 3 hours.