The Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

The Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

5 T. butter, melted

1 cup plus 1T. sugar

3    8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 eggs

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

¼ allspice

    Preheat the oven to 350.  Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 T. sugar in a medium bowl.  Stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter, but not so much as to turn the mixture into paste.  Keep it crumbly.  Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the springform pan.  You don’t want the crust to form all of the way up the back of each slice of cheesecake.  Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set it aside until you are ready to fill it.

    In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla.  Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.

    Pour the filling into the pan.  Bake for 60-70 minutes.  The top will turn a bit darker at this point.  Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool.

    When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator.  When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the pan sides and cut the cake into 8 equal pieces.  Serve with a generous portion of whipped cream on top.

        White Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

1 (13 ¾ oz) package coconut macaroons

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 T. butter, melted

2/3 cup sugar

¼ cup plus 1 T cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

3 egg yolks

2 cups milk, divided

1 cup half and half

2 (3 oz) packages white baking bars

3 T. butter

3 large ripe bananas, thinly sliced

1 ½ cups whipping cream, dividied

 1 (3 oz) package white baking bar

Garnish:white chocolate curls

    Place macaroons in food processor bowl.  Cover and pulse 5 or 6 times or until cookies are crumbled.  Combine macaroon crumbs, 1 egg, and 1 T. melted butter; stir well.  Firmly press crumb mixture over bottom and up sides of a greased 10 inch pieplate.  Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.  Let cool.

    Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy saucepan.  Combine egg yolks, 1 ½ cups

milk, and half and half, beating well; gradually stir into sugar mixture.

    Heat remaining ½ cup milk and 2 chocolate bars in top of a double boiler over hot water until white chocolate melts.  Stir into egg mixture.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Remove from heat; add butter and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Stir until butter melts.  Pour 1/3 (about 1 1/3 cups) of custard into baked crust; top with half of banana slices.  Repeat layers, ending with custard.  Cover and chill pie several hours.

    Heat ¼ cup whipping cream and 1 chocolate bar in top of double boiler until chocolate melts.  Let cool.  Beat remaining 1 ¼ cups whipping cream at high speed of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  Stir 2 T. whipped cream into cooled white chocolate mixture.  Gently fold white chocolate mixture into remaining whipped cream; chill.  Spread over chilled pie.  Garnish, if desired.  Yield: one 10 inch pie.