Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce Recipes

It’s that time of year again. And that only means one thing: time to start thinking about holiday baking. In Paris, bakery windows are filled with Bûches de Noël (Christmas cookies) and bourriches (wooden crates) of oysters are piled up in the markets. The chocolate shops are full of people, buying several boxes as gifts, and people are eating caviar and champagne, one of the few things sold in France during the holidays.

One thing you don’t see is the use of pumpkin in desserts. A cake or pie (or ice cream) made from squash may sound funny, especially to non-Americans, but it helps to remember that pumpkins and other squash are technically fruits. One could also single out the classic Chard Tart from Provence (which is in a completely different category), and the Melanzane al cioccolato, aubergine with chocolate sauce, which I like. (Which one could argue is good because it’s dipped in dark chocolate.) But I don’t think everything goes with chocolate: A friend tried the hot chocolate with oysters at a famous chocolate shop in Paris, and after her description, I didn’t rush over there to try a cup.

To get that last image out of your mind, I present pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan praline sauceit has nothing not to like it. Cream cheese and sour cream, a buttery cookie shell and a brown sugar and bourbon colored sauce filled with crunchy pecans. I’m in.

DIYers may raise an eyebrow when they use canned pumpkin. I have a few reasons for using it. (And as many of you may know, it’s not made from pumpkin, but a variety of squash similar to butternut squash.) One is that when writing a recipe, it’s easy to get consistent, similar results when we’re all using the same ingredient. And two, it’s a lot easier, which is appreciated around the holidays when we all have enough on our plates and in our ovens, and there are fewer dishes to wash to boot.

If you want to go the other way, you can also make your own cream cheese and graham crackers, grow your own pecans, churn your own butter and make your own cookie cutter. If you go that route, let me know when your cheesecake is done; )

Meanwhile, I stand over my stove and stir warm, freshly roasted pecans into my praline sauce before lacing it up with a splash of bourbon.

The praline sauce is decidedly on the sweet side. But that didn’t stop me (like, at all…) from dipping my spoon into it over and over and over again. Be sure to toast the pecans before using them. My pet peeve at restaurants is when they don’t roast nuts. Roasting any nut usually improves it by at least 99%, if not more, so if you don’t consistently roast your nuts before using them in salads, sauces, and in ice cream, start doing so now. It’s not too late.

But I can’t imagine this cheesecake being served without it. Although I could imagine eating the sauce without the cheesecake. And if you’re anything like me, you might find yourself spooning it over ice cream, scooping it over pumpkin pie (without the marshmallow topping), or even spooning it straight into your mouth, like I do.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce

If using canned pumpkin, be sure not to use canned pumpkin pie “filling” (which is sweetened and spiced); use canned pumpkin which is 100% pumpkin puree. If you want to make sugar pumpkin puree yourself, you can split a sugar pumpkin (or butternut squash) in half and scrape out the seeds. Butter the cut side of the pumpkin and bake, cut side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 375ºF/190ºC oven until very tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop the meat and mash into a blender or food processor, or put it through a food mill. If you want to balance the sweetness of the sauce, you can add a scant teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to it, or to taste. Conversely, adding more liquor will take the edge off as well. Outside of the US, I often use speculoos cookies instead of the graham crackers for the crust. If you go that route, you may want to reduce the butter in the crust by about 20% since speculoos cookies tend to be more buttery than graham crackers. I use a springform pan with a glass bottom for cheesecakes, which makes serving much easier.

Servings portions

Ingredients

For the crust

1 1/2 copper (180g) Graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons (60g) melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the pumpkin cheesecake filling

Three 8-ounce (680g) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/4 copper (250 g) sugar
grated shell a lemon preferably unbleached
4 great egg at room temperature
A 15 ounces (425 g) canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup (125g) sour cream or whole milk yogurt
1 tablespoon cornstarch or 2 tbsp flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of salt

Pecan praline sauce

3/4 cup (105 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (60ml) maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup (60ml) Bourbon
1 1/2 copper (160g) pecans roasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the crust, in a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs together with the melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until the crumbs are thoroughly moistened. Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, then press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place in the fridge until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Bake the crust until it feels firm in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Turn the oven down to 325ºF (165ºC).
To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of an immersion blender fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand, in a large bowl). Add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer between each addition to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, then add the pumpkin puree, sour cream, cornstarch or flour and vanilla extract, along with the spices and salt.
Line the outside of the bottom of the springform pan with foil so that it reaches all the way up to the top of the outside of the pan. If you must use multiple pieces, I recommend triple wrapping it to prevent leakage or water entering the cake pan. (Better yet, use extra-wide foil, so you only need one sheet.) Scrape the mixture into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Place the cheesecake in a larger pan, such as a casserole dish, then add plenty of hot water to the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the cake pan.
Bake the cheesecake in the oven until the center looks just a little firm, but not soggy and sloppy in the center when you shake the pan. I start checking the cheesecake at 50 minutes, as it usually takes about 50 minutes to 1 hour, but can take up to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, then remove the cake from the water bath and let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Make the pecan praline sauce by heating brown sugar, cream, butter, maple syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring often. Let cook for 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat and add bourbon, pecans and vanilla.

Notes

Serving: Run a sharp knife around the outside of the cheesecake to release it from the springform pan, then remove the sides of the pan. Dip the knife in warm water, wipe it dry and use it to cut clean slices from the cheesecake. Serve with a spoonful of hot sauce poured over. If the sauce becomes too thick when left to stand, you can dilute it with milk or water.

Storage: The baked or unbaked crust can be made up to three days in advance and stored at room temperature (if baked) or refrigerated (unbaked). It can also be frozen either baked or unbaked for 2-3 months. The baked cheesecake will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Related recipes and links

Dulce de leche cheesecake

Ingredients for American Baking in Paris

Pumpkin ice cream

Cheesecake

Maple pumpkin flan

Homemade Graham Crackers (Smitten Kitchen)

Homemade bourbon (today’s bourbon)

Homemade salt (Ruhlman)