Less than a week away from Thanksgiving, and I can barely hold in my excitement. Once it hits November, I get filled with so much joy because there is so much to celebrate!
I started the month by celebrating my birthday with my close friends and family. I went to cocktail making class with my boyfriend which was tons of fun and also a ploy for the best sunrise ever!
After grabbing a $1 slice pizza ( nothing better) , we headed to Korea town where all my friends surprised me. It was truly the best birthday ever!
Once my birthday is over, the holiday planning starts!
In my family, we all have our roles, my mom is to prepare her famous corn pudding and apple tart, my aunt handles pretty much everything else and I am in charge of desserts.
Considering that our dinner is the same every year, I love looking at old and recent newspapers and magazines to gather up as much inspiration I can for what dessert I want to make that year!
This year I decided to use a classic Thanksgiving ingredient, pumpkin! There is no secret that I love cheesecake, so this year I decided to do a meringue pumpkin cheesecake, with a gingersnap crust, instead of a regular pumpkin pie! The spice from the crust really gives this dessert a kick, and the meringue on top is the perfect sweetness and lightness that helps balance the whole cake.
Try it – it is a simple and easy delicious dessert to make.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Ingredients
Crust
3/4 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs, 5 1/2 cookie sheets
3/4 cup finely ground gingersnap crumbs, 6-8 small cookies
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Filling
Two 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
¼ cup flour
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
salt
Meringue Topping
3 egg-whites
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
Recipe
Crust
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers, gingersnap cookies, and sugar until they are fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse to combine.
Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust 10-12 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Once it's done, take it out of the oven and allow to cool.
Filling
While the crust cools, prepare the filling.
In a clean, the food processor, pulse the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and pumpkin puree, pulse for 30 seconds. Add the eggs and pulse again. Lastly, add the flour, spices, and a pinch of salt and pulse until the filling is smooth and all combined.
Pour the filling into the springform pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until its set and slightly jiggly.
Once it is cooked, allow it to cool completely, then refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Meringue Topping
Before serving, prepare the meringue.
In an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk the mixture until the sugar has dissolved and is hot.
Transfer the bowl to the standing mixer and beat at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, then increase speed to high and beat until mixture is stiff.
Using a spatula mound meringue either on one half or in the middle, and spread it to the edges. Using a spoon, create mountains and swoops of meringue around the surface. Be creative - you can’t go wrong~
Using a culinary torch, hold the torch about a few inches away from the tart, brown the meringue lightly. Alternatively, place the pie in a preheated broiler, watching it carefully, as it will brown very quickly.