Carrot-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Yeah, I know your all thinking carrot?? What the hell? But seriously, carrots are neutral & can be eaten sweet or satly, so considering how versatile they are as an ingredient, why not "health" these bars up a little. As an added bones, the carrots pair great with the pumpkin. Enjoy!

Carrot-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

**Makes a large 16x12 pan of bars

Cheesecake Filling:

2 -8 ounce packages cream cheese

2 tablespoons All-Purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of one Orange

1 Egg-Beaten

1 teaspoon ground Ginger

¾ can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Pumpkin-Carrot Filling:

2 tablespoons Molasses

3/4 cup White Sugar

1 Egg

2 cups Pumpkin puree

1 cup cooked-chopped Carrots

3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

1/2 can Evaporated Milk

1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground Ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

Crust:

2 cups Gingerbread Graham Crackers-crushed

1/3 cup white Sugar

3 tablespoons Flour

¾ stick unsalted Butter, melted

1 teaspoon ground Ginger

¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg

½ teaspoon Cardamom

Directions for crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 12x16 inch pan. Combine crushed graham crackers with melted butter, flour, sugar and spices. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake crust until golden, about 5-6 minutes. Cool completely.

Directions for Sweet Potato filling:

In a food processor, blend pumpkin, carrots, sugar, and evaporated milk. Once smooth, add spices, molasses, and egg. Blend well. Pour mixture on top of cooled crust. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Directions for Cream cheese filling:

Using mixer, beat cream cheese, condensed milk, flour, sugar, zest, and vanilla, in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and spices.  Reduce heat to 325. Pour cream cheese mixture on top of cooked pumpkin mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove, cool, cover and chill overnight.

Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake

Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake

**Adapted from a By Sprinkle Bakes recipe 

Ginger-Pecan Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup pecans (1.2 oz.)

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup cold butter

1 tablespoon cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in an 18 inch square of heavy duty aluminum.  

2. Place flour, sugar, salt, pecans and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the pecans are finely ground. Add cold butter and process until crumbs form. Add water and process in bursts until the dough starts to come together in clumps. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

1 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons Rum

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 lbs (20 oz, or 2 1/2 eight oz. bricks) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tbsp cornstarch

4 large eggs

1. In a medium bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon , ginger and salt. Set aside.

2. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium-low until creamy (approx. 2 mins). Gradually add sugars and beat until blended. Add pumpkin mixture and beat until blended. Add cornstarch and beat until just combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl as necessary.

3. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter onto the cooled crust. Place the aluminum-wrapped pan in a roasting pan or large baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come up 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake 70-80 minutes, or until set and slightly wobbly. The cake will completely set as it cools.

Whipped Cream Topping

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, beat heavy cream until it begins to thicken slightly. Add in granulated sugar a little at a time.

2. Beat until stiff peaks form. Use to top cheesecake, or pipe in decorative swirls. You may also serve this on the side.

Gingerbread-Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt

Bundt:

½ cup butter (1 stick-unsalted) at room temperature

1 cup Sugar

¼ cup dark Molasses

1 & 2/3 cups flour

2 eggs at room temperature

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup pumpkin plus 2 tablespoons (based upon 15. oz can use ½ of the can)

½ cup half and half

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 cup Cream Cheese

1 tablespoon All-purpose flour

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together cream cheese, vanilla, flour, and powdered sugar. Set aside.

In a large mixer, combine butter and sugar. Mix well. Add molasses. Add eggs one at a time. Add pumpkin, and half and half.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the remaining dry ingredients. Mix well. Combine with wet ingredients, mixing well.

Grease & flour dust a Bundt pan. Fill with pumpkin mixture. With a knife carve a well in a circle through the Bundt pan. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the well, then carefully run your knife in a “swirly” line so that the mixture barely combines with the pumpkin mixture, and creates a swirl.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

I topped mine with some melted cream cheese icing I whipped up, but it's sooooo perfect all on its own! 

Pumpkin-Potato Gnocchi with Walnut Cream Sauce

• 1 1/4 pounds russet (baking potatoes)
• 1 (3/4-pound) Pumpkin (I used canned Pumpkin)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt (about 2 pinches)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Equipment needed: a potato ricer, or a food mill or food processor fitted with fine disk

For Sauce:

2 teaspoons Butter

2 teaspoons Olive Oil

4-5 pieces fresh Sage or Basil (I used Basil this time, but Sage works well too)

½ cup Shredded Parmesan

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

¼ cup Walnuts-Toasted then pulsed in Food processor

2 cups Half & Half (this is lower in fat that whole cream, but as you reduce the sauce it will thicken.

1 cup hot Pasta water

To make gnocchi:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Pierce russet potatoes and sliced pumpkin pieces in several places with a fork, then bake in a 4-sided sheet pan until just tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

**If you do decide to use plain canned pumpkin, which works just as well, make sure than you take care to drain it for at least 4 hours before hand in a cheese cloth or fine mesh strainer. Otherwise, it will add too much water to your recipe.

Cool potatoes & pumpkin slightly, then peel and force through ricer into sheet pan, spreading in an even layer. Cool completely.

Lightly flour 2 or 3 large baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Beat together egg, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.

Gather potatoes and pumpkin into a mound in sheet pan, using a pastry scraper if you have one, and form a well in center. Pour egg mixture into well, then knead into potatoes-pumpkin mixture.

Knead in cheese and 1 1/2 cups flour, then knead, adding more flour as necessary, until mixture forms a smooth but slightly sticky dough. Dust top lightly with some of flour.

Cut dough into 6 pieces. Form 1 piece of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rope on a lightly floured surface. Cut rope into 1/2-inch pieces. Gently roll each piece into a ball and lightly dust with flour. Repeat with remaining 5 pieces of dough.

Turn a fork over and hold at a 45-degree angle, with tips of tines touching work surface. Working with 1 at a time, roll gnocchi down fork tines, pressing with your thumb, to make ridges on 1 side. Transfer gnocchi as formed to baking sheets.

Cook gnocchi:
Add half of gnocchi to a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water and stir. Cook until they float to surface, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to skillet with sauce. Cook the remaining gnocchi in same manner, transferring to skillet as cooked.

To make sauce:
Add butter to oil in skillet with 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic, and green onions. Sauté over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown, add ½ and half. Season. Bring to a boil, and then add 1 cup pasta water. Mix well & turn off heat. You can begin adding your cooked gnocchi to the sauce pan as they are done, and continue to finish cooking your sauce. Remove from heat. Serve.