Pumpkin-orange Cheesecake

Mable served this yummy cheesecake at the November day meeting.

Crust:

1 pkg (9 oz) chocolate wafer cookies

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter.

 

Filling:

3 Pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup canned pumpkins

1/4 cup each heavy cream, sour cream, and maple syrup

Zest of 2 medium oranges

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

 

Topping:

6 Tbsp. store-bought caramel topping

1/8 tsp. table salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Flaked salt*(such as Cyprus sea salt flakes or Maldon salt), for garnish

 

Make crust: Preheat oven to 350.  Whirl cookies in a food processor until finely ground.  Whirl in butter just until imcorporated.  Pour crumbs into a 9-in. springform pan and press over bottom and about 1 in. up inside of pan.  Bake 7 minutes, then let cool on a rack.  Reduce oven heat to 300.

Make Filling: In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugars, and flour until smooth.  Beat in eggs on low speed 1 at a time.  Add remining filling ingredients and beat until just blended.  Wrap bottom of pan with foil, pressing it up the outside.

Set springform pan in a roasting pan and pour filling into crust.  Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come about half way up side of springform pan.  Bake until cheesecake barely jiggles in the center when gently shaken, about 1 1/4 hours.  Let cheescake cool on a rack 1 hour, then chill until cold, at least 5 hours.

Whisk caramel topping and table salt in a bowl and spoon over cheesecake.  Arrange pecans around rim and sprinkle flaked salt over pecans.

 

Hint:Far a fissure-free cheesecake, beat your filling just until it’s blended–no more.  (Too much air in the mixture will make it deflate, and then crack, in the oven.)

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