You Don't Need To Wait For Halloween To Enjoy These Delicious Pumpkin Desserts

Pumpkin is a versatile and flavourful ingredient, generally associated with Halloween and fall, but something that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways all year round. It's versatile and underutilised, and can be used to make everything from soup to broths and veggies to casseroles. It can also, interestingly, be used in desserts, ranging from items like pumpkin cheesecake to pumpkin bread and pumpkin tart; lets forget the frilly pumpkin cake recipe for this one. So, look through the recipes below and decide how you want to enjoy this rich and creamy taste. 

One of the most iconic pumpkin desserts is the pumpkin pie, with its creamy texture. The addition of warm spices gives it a more complex flavour that’s exciting on the palette. 

Ingredients

• Homemade Pie Dough
• egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk
• 425 gms pumpkin puree
• 3 large eggs
• 1 and 1/4 cups packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup milk 

Directions:

• Make the pie crust or use your favorite pie dough or store-bought.
• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Remove 1 disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Make sure to turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2-inch deep dish pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it’s tightly pressed into the pie dish. Fold any dough overhang back into the dish to form a thick rim around the edges. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges with your fingers.
• Brush edges lightly with egg wash mixture.
• Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunching up the parchment paper is helpful so that you can easily shape it into the crust. Fill with pie weights or dried beans.
• Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork to create steam vents and return crust (without weights) to the oven for 7-8 more minutes or until the bottom is just starting to brown.
• Whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, heavy cream, and milk. Vigorously whisk until everything is combined.
• Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm crust. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up. Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 55-60 minutes.
• Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely for at least three hours before garnishing and serving.
• Serve pie with whipped cream if desired. 

Another great option is the pumpkin cheesecake, bringing together the creamy texture of the cheesecake with the rich flavour of the pumpkin, leading to a decadent dessert. 

Ingredients: 

Gingersnap Cookie Crust

• 1 and 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger and ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 50 gm granulated sugar 

For the cheesecake:

• 905 gm full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 300 gm granulated sugar
• 80 gm full-fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 225 gm pumpkin puree
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• topping suggestions: salted caramel and whipped cream 

Directions:

• Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
• Using a food processor, pulse the gingersnap cookies into crumbs. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in ginger, cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter until combined.
• Press firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. No need to grease the pan first.
• Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the hot pan on a large piece of aluminum foil.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, then beat until fully combined. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. After the final egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. To help prevent the cheesecake from deflating and cracking as it cools, avoid over-mixing the batter as best you can.
• Scoop out 2 cups of batter and place in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until combined. Begin adding spoonfuls of each batter, the plain and the pumpkin, on top of the crust. Alternate until all the batter is used and pan is filled. Using a toothpick or knife, swirl the batters together by dragging the toothpick top to bottom, then left to right.
• Bake cheesecake for 55-70 minutes or until the center is almost set. When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour as it cools down. Remove cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim.

Add toppings, if desired.