Sweet Potato Cheesecake With Spiced Cookie Crust Recipes

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
• Mix the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, butter and salt together in a medium bowl until well blended. Press the mixture into the pie plate. Bake until set and the crust feels firm, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
• To make the cheesecake filling: In a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar and salt, mixing at low speed until the mixture is smooth with no lumps, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and eggs.
• Add the filling to the crust, smooth the top, and chill in the freezer until the filling is sturdy and set up, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• For the sweet potato topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Whisk in the sweet potatoes, half and half, butter, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Pour slowly over the chilled cheesecake filling.
• Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake, covering the edges with foil if it browns too quickly, until set along the outside and the center still has a slight jiggle, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating until ready to serve.

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Boil the sweet potato until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Cool, peel, mash, and set aside. (Should yield about 1 cup).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (9-inch) pie plates with thin slices of pound cake. Firmly press into bottom of pans. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sugar. Mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Pour in cream. Mix well. Add mashed sweet potato. Mix well. Stir in lemon extract, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. Mix well. Pour into lined pans.
• Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until center is almost set. Remove from the oven and cool at least 1 hour. Remove from pan, if desired, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish as desired.

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE WITH CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• To make the crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl. Using a tablespoon, press this mixture into a 10-inch springform pan, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake crust for 10 minutes and allow to cool. Butter or spray a pan with vegetable spray.
• To make the cheesecake batter: Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, place cream cheese. Use paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Continue to mix and add sugar and salt. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add sour cream, flour, and spices. Lower speed and add sweet potato puree. Pour the batter into crust lined pan. Place a baking pan of hot water under cheesecake pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees F, then lower temperature to 250 degrees F and bake an additional 1 1/2 hours or until cake center is firm.
• For candied pecans: Melt the sugar and cook until temperature reaches 310 degrees F. Stir in nuts until completely coated. Pour onto buttered baking pan. Try to keep the nuts in individual pieces or pulse in food processor for praline effect.
• Let the cake cool completely in pan on rack for 30 minutes, then wrap in plastic, still in pan, and refrigerate until completely chilled. Loosen pan sides and remove cheesecake. Carefully slice cake with knife dipped in hot water, then wiped. Garnish with candied pecans.

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE WITH SPICED COOKIE CRUST

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch springform with nonstick cooking spray. Wrap the springform in 2 layers of aluminum foil. It's best to use the widest type of foil you can find, one that can be uniformly wrapped up the sides of the springform without leaving a gap near the bottom of the pan. Place the springform in a cake pan or hotel pan wider than the springform. Set aside.
• Pulse the cookies, sugar and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles a fine powder. Slowly add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture starts to clump.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform and gently press the cookie mixture into the bottom of the pan. Use a small measuring cup to evenly tamp down the edges. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
• For the filling: Put the sweet potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Strain, transfer to a food processor and pulse until the sweet potato becomes a smooth puree. Measure out 1 cup sweet potato puree and set aside. (Reserve any remaining puree for another use.)
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened cream cheese. Mix on low until smooth. Add the sugar and mix until just combined. Don't overwhip.
• Whisk together the eggs in a small bowl and add to the stand mixer bowl. Mix until just combined. Add the cream, extracts, speculoos spice and salt. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold until the flour is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Transfer 1/4 cup of the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small open tip (Ateco number 3). Set aside.
• To the remaining batter, add the sweet potato puree and orange zest and fold into the batter with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. Transfer the batter to the springform on top of the crust. Pipe the reserved batter into leaf shapes on top and pull a toothpick through the leaves.
• Transfer the pans to the preheated oven onto the middle oven rack. Carefully pour hot water into the larger cake pan or hotel pan so it comes just halfway up the springform. Bake until the batter just shimmies in the middle of the cheesecake, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and open the oven door. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the cooling oven, about 2 hours.

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C ).
• Mix together graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes; remove from oven and set aside. Keep the oven on.
• Place potatoes in a baking dish. Bake until a knife inserted in center goes through easily, about 1 hour. Cool sweet potatoes enough to handle, peel, and puree.
• Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar until smooth. Mix in sour cream, 1/4 cup cream, and 1 1/2 cups sweet potato puree. Beat in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Pour filling into crust.
• Bake in 350 degrees F (175 degrees C ) oven until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 1 hour (center may still be slightly jiggly).
• Turn off the oven. Let cake stand 1 hour in oven with door ajar.
• Combine brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter or margarine in a heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat, and bring to a boil. Mix in 1/4 cup cream, then nuts. Pour hot topping over cheesecake. Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator.

BASQUE-STYLE SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 450°F. Place sweet potatoes on a foil or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast, turning once, until skins are puffed and scorched in spots where the juices have bubbled out and caramelized and a skewer easily slides into flesh, 55-65 minutes. Let sweet potatoes cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 425°F.
• Peel sweet potatoes; discard skins. Transfer flesh to a food processor and process until smooth (or, pass through a food mill into a large bowl). Let cool at least 1 hour.
• Lightly butter pan. Cut 2 long lengths of parchment paper and crumple to soften (this will help it lay flatter in the round pan). Line pan with both sheets of parchment so they overlap in a crisscross manner; overhang should extend at least 2" above the rim. Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until very smooth, about 3 minutes. With motor running, add 2 cups sweet potato purée by spoonfuls (reserve any remaining purée for another use); beat until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl and paddle as needed. Reduce speed to medium-low and mix in sour cream, cream, and salt. Scrape in vanilla seeds or add vanilla extract. Turn off mixer and sift in flour, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Beat on low speed just to incorporate, about 30 seconds. Fold batter a few times with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape bottom of bowl. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth surface.
• Bake cheesecake until deeply bronzed and quite puffed on top but still with a pronounced wiggle in the center when gently shaken, 55-65 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cheesecake cool, about 1½ hours.
• To serve, carefully unmold cheesecake and peel away parchment before slicing. Do ahead: Sweet potato purée can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.

GALATOIRE'S SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter until combined. Press evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until set but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool.
• Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and brown sugar, beating until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add sweet potatoes, eggs, evaporated milk, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg, beating until well combined. Pour into crust. Bake until edge is set, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla to combine. Spread over warm cheesecake. Return to oven, and bake until just set, 5 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove side of pan, and chill at least 5 hours and preferably overnight.

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE WITH PECAN-CRUMB CRUST

Steps:

• Set oven to 425 degrees.
• FOR CRUST: combine crust ingredients well, and press into a 10-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar and all eggs until smooth.
• Mix in whipping cream.
• Beat in flour, cinnamon and ginger.
• Beat in well-mashed sweet potatoes until well combined.
• Pour the batter into prepared crust.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 mins; lower heat to 275 degrees, and bake 1 hour more.
• Turn heat off, and leave in oven to cool for several hours, or cool on a wire rack.
• Leave in fridge for 8-9 hours, or overnight to set.
• Serve with sweetened whipped cream or caramel topping.