A scary-faced, candle-lit pumpkin is a sure sign of the Halloween season. The custom of decorating Jacko's lanterns began in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes acted as early canvases. In fact, the name Jacko`lantern comes from an Irish fairy tale about a man named Stingy Jack.
Jack-o'-lanterns have a long history on Halloween, but our favorite devil's face isn't always carved from pumpkins. It has its roots in Irish mythology about Stinsey Jack, who tricked the devil into making his own money. When Jack died, God did not send him to heaven, and the devil did not send him to hell, so Jack was sentenced to roam the earth forever. In Ireland, people began carving devilish faces from turnips to scare Jack's wandering soul. When Irish immigrants emigrated to the United States, they were native to the area and began carving Jackco lanterns from pumpkins.
In this blog, I will teach you how to make a pumpkin cheesecake. So make sure to save up all those carved-up meats for this recipe!
Ingredients:
80g butter, melted
275g ginger biscuits
1 large egg white (use the egg yolk in the filling, below)
800g full-fat soft cheese
425g can pumpkin purée
200g light brown soft sugar
50g plain flour
5 large eggs, plus 1 large yolk
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 220 ° C / 200 ° C convection/ gas. 7. Grease a 22 cm deep cake can with a loose base and line it with baking paper. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with three layers of plastic wrap, followed by three layers of foil (which keeps it waterproof during baking). Fold a clean tea towel and place it on the bottom of a large roaster.
Grind biscuits to crumbs in a food processor. Add melted butter and pulse to coat the crumbs. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan, spread evenly, and press down on the back with a spatula. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with egg whites and cook for 3 more minutes (this will help keep the base from becoming mushy).
To make the filling, place the soft cheese in the bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and beat with a whisk or electric mixer until liquid. Add the pumpkin puree, sugar, and flour and continue beating until combined. With the engine running, gradually add the eggs and egg yolks until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the filling over the base of the scones, then place the cake pan on a tea towel in the roasting pan. Pour a pot of freshly boiled water into the roasting pan so that the water covers half of the cake pan.
Bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 110C / 90C hot air / ¼ gas. Bake for an additional 1 hour and 30 minutes until the cheesecake has thickened with just a slight wiggle in the middle as you gently shake the pan. Turn off the oven, then open the oven door slightly and let the cheesecake cool inside for 2 hours until completely cooled. Remove from oven and leave in refrigerator overnight.
To serve:
400ml whipping cream
ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice, for dusting
25g pecans, chopped
3 tbsp caramel sauce
Carefully remove the cold cheesecake from the mold and place it on the cake stand or serving plate. Use an electric whisk to whisk the cream to a soft tip and spoon a large chunk over the cheesecake. Add a little cinnamon or pumpkin spice, sprinkle with chopped pecan nuts and sprinkle with caramel sauce.