I, of course, had to make cheesy potatoes, by popular (and menacing) demand of my family. I was also asked to make a cheesecake. I haven't made a cheesecake since I made my Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake back in April. I was actually surprised that it has been that long, since I love making cheesecakes. I did get a little lazy with this one though. I was all set to set it in the water bath to prevent it from cracking, but at the last minute I decided I'd just bake it and if it had cracks then it had cracks. I reasoned with myself that it would look very homemade that way.
Turns out, the cracks did bother me. Especially since this cheesecake is only covered with a chocolate drizzled, and not topped with something to cover the cracks. Oh well. It was delicious either way.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Double Chocolate Drizzle
adapted from Cooking Classy
For the crust:
1 and 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tbsp. butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 and 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
For the chocolate drizzle:
1 bar Ghirardelli white chocolate baking chocolate
1 bar Ghirardelli milk chocolate baking chocolate
(you can use any brand of melting chocolate, they just happened to be on sale)
To make the crust:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar in a food processor and pulse until mixed. Add in the melted butter and mix until combined.
3. Press into a springform pan, covering the bottom and up the sides, about an inch from the top.
4. Bake for 8-9 minutes until golden and let cool.
To make the cheesecake filling:
1. Lower oven temp to 325.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combined the cream cheese, brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined and smooth.
3. Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and mix.
4. Add in the pumpkin and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined.
5. Add the whole eggs, one at a time, until combined. Scrape down the sides if needed.
6. Add in the egg yolks and mix just until combined.
7. Pour on top of the cooked and cooled crust.
8. Bake over a water bath (see note) for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven for an additional 30 minutes (don't open the door and peek at it!).
9. Remove from oven. Let cool a bit, then cover and chill for at least 5 hours in the refrigerator.
To top the cheesecake:
1. Melt the white chocolate and milk chocolate in two small separate bowls. I microwaved mine in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.
2. Place each chocolate into a small ziplock bag and seal, making sure there is no air trapped in. Cut off a tiny tip of a bottom corner of each bag and use them to pipe to chocolate over the cheesecake.
** Waterbath note.
If you want to prevent cracks when making a cheesecake, most people will use a waterbath. Here is how I do mine.
1. Wrap your srpingform pan in foil so that it covers the bottom and comes up the sides, making sure no water could get into the bottom of the pan.
2. Place your wrapped cheesecake into a roasting pan or a pan that is deep enough to hold an inch or two of water and big enough to sit the springform pan in.
3. Pour warm/hot water into the roasting pan.
4. Put the whole contraption into the oven and bake according to directions.
I've seen people do it several ways, including this way, but I've also seen people heat the water bath while the oven is preheating, and then bake the cheesecake on a rack above the water bath. A little less prep for this way I guess. I've never tried it. I will have to experiment sometime.
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