National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day, Wednesday, Oct. 21, merges two of our favorite things. What's not to love about pumpkin and cheesecake in one creamy rich dessert.
Find this can't-miss autumn speciality at area restaurants, including the Olive Garden and Cheesecake Factory. Pastiche, 3025 N. Campbell Ave., will start serving its Extra Lovin' Pumpkin Cheesecake Friday, Oct. 23.
Pastiche shared its recipe, which owner Patrick Connors will be baking, in the Star in 2012. It's worth repeating.
Many pumpkin cheesecakes have a graham-cracker crust. Nothing wrong with that, but the pecan add a nutty flavor — well, duh — to the crust of Pastiche's cheesecake. The bourbon gives the filling a grownup flavor and baking it in a water bath keeps it moist and creamy.
Couple of ideas if you are making a pumpkin cheesecake, with the Pastiche recipe or any recipe:
- Try ginger snaps in the crust rather than graham crackers — or mix them to met your favor preferences. The spicy ginger complements and contrasts with the sweet pumpkin and cinnamon flavors.
- Don't overmix the filling. You want want to beat too much air into the filling batter. Think blending not beating.
- Bake in a water bath, as the Pastiche recipe instructs. The water moderates the temperature, keeping it constant. Thus, the cheesecake sets slowly, resulting in a creamy cheesecake.
- Bake slowly so that the eggs will set properly. An overcooked cheesecake will often crack.
- Cool slowly, too. Cheesecakes do not like quick temperature changes. A nifty trick from foodnetwork.com: Turn off the heat when the center's still loose and let it finish baking and cool in the oven.
