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As the name suggests, this is a cross between a regular cheesecake and a pumpkin pie. I got the recipe years ago from my (then) sister-in-law Carolyn.

  • Preparation time: 40 minutes
  • Bake time: 70 minutes
  • Makes 16 servings.

For those who prefer a regular pumpkin pie, I have provided the excellent & universal recipe at the end of this page.

INGREDIENTS

  • Ingredients for the filling:
  • 24 oz. (675 grams) "Philadelphia" cream cheese
  • ¾ cup (160 grams) brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (160 grams) fine crystal sugar (F: sucre en poudre)
  • 5 eggs
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy whipping cream (F: crême entière liquide)
  • 1 can (15 or 16 oz., 450 grams) of pure pumpkin. Do not use pumpkin pie filling!
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Optional: ½ teaspoon ground ginger

Recipe

Various brands of pumpkin

(as long as I don't get paid in any form by any of these brands, I won't recommend any of them, but...)

In the USA, this cheesecake is made with a Graham Cracker crust. Not because these crackers are particularly good: they are actually a kind of distasteful whole-wheat digestive biscuits. The only reason they are "traditionally" used for pie crusts, is that they have always been cheap and available anywhere - but only in the US. I wonder why... So, if you have such crackers in your pantry and want to get rid of them (about time!), here is what you need for a crust (if you want a more classic crust, read on):

  • Ingredients for a Graham cracker crust:
  • 1¼ cups (175 grams) graham cracker crumbs, crushed
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
  • 1/3 cup (75 grams) melted butter

  • Ingredients for a shortcrust pastry crust:
  • 1½ cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour (D: type 550; F: type 55)
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • pinch of salt

  • Ingredients for the topping:
  • 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (85 grams) butter
  • 1 cup (150 grams) coarsely chopped walnuts

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

  • Hand-mixer or kitchen machine
  • Large bowl
  • Medium size bowl
  • Springform pan (F: moule á manqué):
  • One with a diameter of 25 cm (10 inch), or
  • Two with a diameter of 20 cm (8 inch)
  • Medium size sauce pan
  • Spatula

PREPARATION / DIRECTIONS

  • Pre-heat the oven to 165 °C (325 °F)
  • Put the cream cheese, brown and white sugar in the large bowl, and mix with the hand-mixer or kitchen machine
  • While mixing, add the eggs one at a time
  • Add the heavy cream, pumpkin, and spices. Mix.
  • In the medium size bowl, mix all ingredients for the crust and mix into a dough
  • Press the dough onto the bottom of a springform pan(s)
  • Pour the cheese mixture into the springform pan
  • Do not completely fill the pan: the filling rises slightly and you still have to add the topping!
  • Bake for 1 hour
  • While the cake is baking: put the topping ingredients in the sauce pan, bring to a boil, and thicken
  • Take the cake out of the oven, spread the topping on top of the cake
  • Bake for another 10 minutes
  • Let cool in the pan and refrigerate.

Recipe

©1995 Carolyn Cowen


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REGULAR PUMPKIN PIE (D: Kürbiskuchen, F: tarte à citrouille)

This is the excellent traditional standard recipe of Libby's - the traditional producer of canned pumpkin.

INGREDIENTS

  • Ingredients for the filling:
  • 2 large  eggs
  • 1 can (15 or 16 oz., 450 grams) of pure pumpkin. Do not use pumpkin pie filling!
  • ¾ cup (160 grams) fine crystal sugar (F: sucre en poudre)
  • 1 can (12 fl. oz.) unsweetened evaporated milk
  • Instead of the evaporated milk + sugar, I use 1½ can (600 grams net, 21 oz) of sweetened evaporated milk (F: lait concentré sucré)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Optional: ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

PREPARATION / DIRECTIONS

  • Pre-heat the oven to 220 °C (425 °F)
  • Put the sugar (unless using sweetened condensed milk), salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg (optional), in small bowl bowl, and mix with the hand-mixer or kitchen machine
  • In a large bowl, beat the eggs
  • Stir in the pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture
  • Gradually stir in the evaporated milk
  • Pour into an unbaked deep-dish pie shell (22-24 cm diameter, 9 inch)
  • Bake for 15 minutes at 220 °C (425 °F), then reduce the temperature to 175 °C (350 °F) and bake for another 40-50 minutes - until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
  • Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours

SERVING & GARNISH SUGGESTIONS

  • Serve immediately or refrigerate
  • May be topped with whipped cream

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