My weekly routine includes visiting the farmers market – walking through the stalls is so relaxing. But last week as I was there, I could notice how the market has completely changed its appearance. From vibrant summer fruits and veggies, suddenly the market was full of pumpkins, autumn flowers, tomatoes and cucumbers for pickles, pears, apples and the last bits of watermelons. No more summer heat and flavors, autumn has brought its chilly days in and all I can think of eating right now is stews and thick stews, as well as spiced desserts. Baking has become much easier without the summer heat and I’m enjoying it.

I couldn’t leave the market without a tiny pumpkin… it only looked tiny because I ended up with 2 cups of pumpkin purée, thick, fragrant purée that i just had to use. And because I haven’t made a cheesecake in ages, there you have it – a spiced pumpkin cheesecake with a brown butter crust and a salted caramel sauce. It’s such a rich and decadent dessert with its creaminess. The spices and the salted caramel are a match made in heaven, only making the cheesecake more tantalizing for the taste buds than you can think of.

The crust is rather unusual, but so tasty and easy to make and bake. The original recipe belongs to Paule Caillat, a French woman who teaches cooking classes and I stumbled on it on David’s Lebovitz blog. The way it’s made reminded me of eclairs for a second. The final texture of the crust however is not similar to eclairs. Instead, the crust is tender and melts in your mouth and I’m surely gonna be using it again for other recipes.

{Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake}

 

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Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 90g butter, cubed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (canola, sunflower)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 150g all-purpose flour, sifted

Filling:

• 200g pumpkin puree
• 600g cream cheese
• 100g sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 150g white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 pinch salt

Salted Caramel:

• 200g white sugar
• 50ml water
• 50g butter
• 100ml heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Crust:

1. Mix the butter, oil, water, sugar and salt in a deep dish baking pan (ceramic or heatproof glass) then place in the preheated oven at 350F. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the mixture begins to bubble up and turn golden brown.
2. Remove from the oven and stir in (right away) the flour. Mix well until smooth then allow the dough to cool slightly so you don't burn your fingers.
3. Transfer the dough in a round cake pan (22cm diameter) and press it well with your fingertips on the bottom of the pan.
4. Bake in the oven at 350F for 15 minutes.

Filling:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Pour the filling over the baked crust and continue baking the cheesecake in the oven at 330F for about 40 minutes until the center looks slightly set, but still a bit jiggly.
3. Remove from the oven when done and allow to cool completely in the pan before slicing.

Salted Caramel:

1. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the sugar melts and the mixture begins to caramelize, washing down the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water as it cooks.
2. When the sugar has an amber color, add the butter and mix well then stir in the cream and salt.
3. Mix well and keep on heat just until smooth.
4. Allow to cool before serving.

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ROMANIAN

S-au umplut pietele de dovleci de toate formele si culorile chiar din prima zi a lui septembrie. Am tot amanat sa cumpar unul pana cand nu am mai rezistat. Am plecat cu el in sacosa fara sa stiu concret cum urma sa-l pregatesc, l-am pus la copt, l-am transformat in piure apoi mi-am amintit de o reteta de cheesecake cu dovleac pe care o facusem cu mult timp in urma si care nu ajunsese pe blog dintr-un motiv sau altul. Si m-am pus pe treaba. Mi-am imaginat acel piure de dovleac aromat intr-o combinatie cu beurre noisette si multe condimente, astfel incat desertul final sa se potriveasca perfect cu vremea rece de afara. Nu stiu voi, dar eu simt nevoia acum de mancaruri si deserturi consistente, aromate, intense, deserturi care sa-mi trezeasca simturile. Sosul sarat de caramel mi s-a parut a fi tusa finala adaugata acestui tablou de toamna 😉

Crusta e usor neobisnuita in sensul in care procesul de obtinere a aluatului seamana la inceput cu cel al aluatului pentru eclere/choux, dar textura finala a crustei e departe de ecler. Dimpotriva, veti obtine o crusta fina, placut aromata datorita untului usor caramelizat, cu o textura care se topeste in gura. In plus, aluat se lucreaza atat de usor in comparatie cu alte retete care au acelasi scop. Reteta apartine lui Paule Caillat prin blogul lui David Lebovitz.

Ingrediente:

Crusta:

• 90g unt, cuburi
• 1 lingura ulei vegetal (nu de masline)
• 3 linguri apa
• 1 lingura zahar
• 1 praf de sare
• 150g faina alba, cernuta

Umplutura:

• 200g piure de dovleac
• 600g crema de branza
• 100g smantana acra
• 4 oua
• 150g zahar alb
• 1 lingurita extract de vanilie
• 1 lingura amidon
• 1/2 lingurita scortisoara macinata
• 1/2 lingurita ghimbir macinat
• 1 praf de nucsoara
• 1/4 lingurita pudra de cardamom
• 1 praf de sare

!Caramel sarat:

• 200g zahar alb
• 50ml apa
• 50g unt
• 100ml smantana pentru frisca

Mod de preparare:

Crusta:

1. Combinati untul, uleiul, apa, zaharul si sarea intr-un bol rezistent la caldura si puneti in cuptorul preincalzit la 180C pentru 15-20 minute pana compozitia incepe sa se caramlizeze.
2. Scoateti cu grija bolul din cuptor si, cat amestecul e inca fierbinte, adaugati faina, toata o data, apoi amestecati bine cu o lingura pana obtineti un aluat omogen.
3. Lasati aluatul sa se raceasca apoi transferati-l intr-o tava rotunda (22cm diametru) si intindeti-l bine pe fundul tavii folosindu-va de buricul degetelor sau spatele unei linguri. Aluatul se intinde foarte usor folosind metoda asta, nu e nevoie sa-l intindeti cu sucitorul.
4. Coaceti crusta la 180C pentru 15 minute.

Umplutura:

1. Combinati toate ingredientele intr-un bol si mixati bine.
2. Turnati umplutura peste crusta apoi coaceti cheesecake-ul la 165C pentru 40 minute sau pana centrul nu mai arata lichid, ci putin inchegat.
3. Lasati sa se raceasca complet in tava inainte de a-l felia.

Caramel sarat:

1. Combinati zaharul si apa intr-un vas si puneti pe foc mediu.
2. Fierbeti pana incepe sa se caramelizeze, spaland peretii vasului cu o pensula inmuiata in apa rece pe masura ce siropul se gateste. (spaland peretii vasului, impiedicati recristalizarea zaharului)
3. Cand zaharul are o culoare aurie, adaugati untul si amestecati bine, apoi smantana pentru frisca si sarea. Tineti pe foc doar pana sosul e fin.
4. Lasati sa se raceasca bine inainte de servire.
5. Sa aveti pofta!