Thursday, October 27, 2011

Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been working with seasonal desserts this week. I was especially interested in those that can be made ahead of time and frozen. My focus has been on pumpkin and apple cheesecakes. The holidays are coming, and with them come a stream of visitors who need to be entertained in a gracious, yet easy, manner. I try to keep things simple and the freezer helps me do that. The cheesecakes fall into a dessert category that I use for unexpected guests. I like to bake them, cut them into bars or squares and then freeze them to use when needed. They defrost quickly and are wonderful to serve with coffee or tea. I must quickly add that I don't serve cheesecake at the end of a meal. I think they are way too rich for that, but they're perfect to serve as stand alone offerings. This is the easiest of the recipes I've been experimenting with. I really think you'll like it. The ingredient list may look a bit long, but that's because of the number of spices that are used to flavor the cake. I'll reveal the other recipes next week. Here's the recipe for today's cheesecake.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Crust
1 cup cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup gingerbread cookie crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
Filling
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 (15 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Combine crust ingredients. Remove 1/2 cup of mixture and set aside. Firmly press remainder of crumbs onto bottom of prepared pan. Cover pan with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
3) Combine cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Beat in canned pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, mace, nutmeg, cloves, salt, vanilla and orange zest. Add eggs and heavy cream and beat on low speed until just combined. Pour filling over crust.
4) Bake for 35-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; then cover and chill for at least 8 hours. I chill them overnight. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs just before cutting cake into squares. Yield: 20 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Warm Black Bean Dip
















Two Years Ago Today: Maple Chocolate Walnut Bars

43 comments :

Victor said...

I also do that with cheesecakes, put in the freezer and serve to guest when needed.

That's quite a lot of spices for a cheesecake, must taste so good, I can imagine the flavor profile.

Ginny Hartzler said...

These would be great to serve for company in the fall!

Coleens Recipes said...

Sounds delicious, I love having treats "on hand" for unexpected holiday guests.

Fabi said...

Sounds so yummy! All the flavours you can find in a pumpkin pie with the ceamy cheese, and if you can freeze it is simply perfection! Big hug, Mary.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Apple cheesecake! That's a great idea (the pumpkin squares look good, but I have some apples that need using).

Elin said...

Mary...I just make pumpkin cinnamon roll and now your pumpkin cheesecake squares make me drool. I have bookmarked this :) haha my list is getting longer now.

France@beyondthepeel said...

how fun. It looks great. Even though I know i've said this before, I love the cheesecake "square" idea. it's a great way of portioning the dessert into smaller more reasonable size portions.

Katarina said...

This sounds so yummy, pumpkin is so delicious!

Lynn said...

Love the spicy crust and the orange zest additions Mary, I'm saving this one-thanks:@)

Su m said...

I've never tried to freeze a dessert, but now that I think of it it's a pretty good idea.
Loved this cheesecake Mary, sounds simply perfect.
Big kiss

Unknown said...

I love all things pumpkin and these look fabulous! What wonderful spices and simple preparation!!

Rita said...

Sure is perfect for this season; love it!
Rita

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...

These sound wonderful and they look amazing!

Alison Kilpatrick said...

Mmmmmm.... these look wonderful!

Unknown said...

They look and sound so decadent, Mary. Would love a slice of that right now... YUM!

~~louise~~ said...

Cheesecake is great for freezing. Why don't I remember that when I bake one though, lol...(probably because it's gone so fast:)

Your Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares look just divine, Mary, Thanks for sharing...

nanny said...

YUM! I made pumpkin muffins yesterday and I can't stay out of them/ha

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I do love pumpkin cheesecake so these would be perfect for our Thanksgiving holidays.

Anna said...

LOVE pumpkin cheesecake! MM!!!

Little Inbox said...

Pumpkin and cheese, hmm...so delicious!

Stephanie said...

These look great for this time of year!

Flavia Galasso said...

I love Autumn...also because is pumpkin season!!!! Blessings, Flavia

lena said...

i'm seeing so many pumpkin recipes this week, i think halloween could be part of its reason. Thanks for coming back to me on the pumpkin patch. Enjoy your day!

Adam said...

Can I come over? And I will still eat cheesecake after dinner too, you know, if you felt like offering me some :).

That Girl said...

I'm starting to make seasonal desserts for the freezer too! Including pumpkin cheesecake!

Rachana said...

This sounds so delicious. A great recipe.

Priya Suresh said...

Woww super delicious cheesecake squares, irresistible..

Ruth said...

Desserts that can be kept in the freezer are great at busy times - and this one looks perfect for autumn/fall! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

These squares look SO good - perfect for Thanksgiving dessert
Mary x

Sprigs of Rosemary said...

That's a great idea to have ready for pop-in guests. A whole cheesecake might be too much. Perfect size for easy and quick sharing.

Rhonda said...

My Baby boy would love this, he just got braces and can only eat softer foods. He's a big fan of cheesecake and pumpkin, I'll be making it for him.

Becky said...

Mary,
Thank you for stopping by my blog, and your sweet words. I certainly like your idea of freezing the cheesecakes for later use. Your Pumpkin Cheesecake is a perfect dessert, especially for the holidays.

Xinmei @ Pudding Pie Lane said...

I've never had pumpkin cheesecakes before, but I think I'm going to try. It's great that these are freezable and will last a long time, really helpful for the entertaining needed this holiday season!

Joanne said...

Cheesecake is always an instant favorite so it's definitely great to have around for holidays! This looks delicious..all of the flavors of pumpkin pie but in cheesecake form!

Karyn said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a wonderful message. You have a great site as well. I'll be sure to check out some of your delicious desserts! Starting with these cheesecakes! Yum!

Sue/the view from great island said...

I'm afraid I've never managed to master the unexpected guest cuisine. I need to have a stash of these in my freezer, thanks!

Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine said...

Wow we both posted these mine are more like a pie though these looks scrumptious!

meghan @ scratch-made wife said...

I've been dreaming about pumpkin cheesecake. These look fabulous. The husband isn't really interested in pumpkin cheesecake. Maybe I can warm him up to the idea with these squares as opposed to a whole cheesecake. Thanks for sharing.

Dianne said...

Pumpkin cheesecake bars look so yummy! I will definitely be trying this recipe - thank you!

Amalia said...

I love pumpkin cheesecake! These squares look fantastic and I love that you can freeze them and that they defrost quickly, the perfect treat for guests, as you said. Thank you for sharing, have a wonderful day!

Ellen Whyte said...

Sounds good. and those walnut maple syrup cakes sound good too!

Mimi Cooks said...

Those pumpking cheesecake squares look heavenly!! I must try them soon.
I would like to thank you for coming by to my blog and visiting around it...i really appreciate it a lot coming from a blogger who has a high volume of visits and many many followers...i really really appreciate it. thanks for your nice comment and i hope you find something you like to make from my blog and i am sure the recipe will work out for you. Thanks!

Claudia said...

And now I have dessert for Sunday's dinner. And if I double - a treat for later. I love coming here!

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Printfriendly