Jack O Lantern Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipes

JACK-O-LANTERN CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Side Bar: Before you start, set your cream cheese and butter out for several hours, so it can warm up to room temperature. Set rack in middle of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Cut the tops off the pumpkins and set aside, With a teaspoon or grapefruit knife, scrape the fibrous pulp and seeds out of the pumpkins. Scrape some of the meat off the inner walls so they are no more than 3/8-inch thick. Put the cream cheese, butter, sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a large mixing bowl and beat at medium speed until blended. Take care not to mix too much air into the batter. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, until each is incorporated. Reduce the speed and beat in the sour cream, vanilla and pumpkin puree. Fill the pumpkin shells with the batter and bake, on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Turn the pan and place the tops next to the pumpkins. Bake for 10 more minutes, until barely set and firm. If, at any time, the cakes start to puff up, turn the oven down or remove them. Let cool, in the pan, then refrigerate.;
• Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes until the berries have popped and form a thick sauce. Let cool. To serve, spoon cranberry sauce on top of filling. Place the pumpkin lid on a jaunty angle. Stick the birthday candle and mint sprig into the top.

JACK-O'-LANTERN CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the water, butter and sugar to a boil. , In a small bowl, combine flour and pie spice; add to water mixture all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. , Preheat oven to 400°. Drop 12 rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Remove to a wire rack. Immediately split puffs open; remove tops and set aside. Discard soft dough from inside. Allow puffs to cool completely. , For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pie spice until smooth; fold in whipped topping. Pipe into cream puffs; replace tops., For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Divide frosting into thirds; tint one portion green, and one portion orange; set aside. Stir cocoa into the remaining frosting. Pipe jack-o'-lantern faces with orange and chocolate frosting. Pipe stems with green frosting.

HALLOWEEN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the brownie: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10-by-15-inch baking dish (4 1/2 quart) with foil leaving a 2-inch over hang on at least two of the sides. Coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl. Melt the butter and semisweet chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and then the eggs. Add the flour mixture in two batches and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle the bittersweet chocolate chips evenly over the top of the brownie. Let sit for 5 minutes to melt slightly. Use and offset spatula to spread the chocolate over the brownie. Let the cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until the chocolate is completely set, about 30 minutes. Use the foil overhang to help lift the brownie out of the pan.
• Lightly coat a 16-inch-long piece of parchment with nonstick cooking spray and place the brownie chocolate coating-side down (this helps to prevent the chocolate from cracking while cutting it). On one half of the brownie, trace the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a paring knife and cut out the circle. Fit the brownie circle, chocolate coating-side up, into the bottom of the springform pan and lock the side.
• For the Jack-o'-Lantern eyes: From the remaining brownie half, use the paring knife to cut out two 2 1/2-inch equilateral triangles.
• For the Jack-o'-Lantern nose: Cut one 2-inch equilateral triangle.
• For the Jack-o'-Lantern mouth: Cut a 5-inch-wide half-moon. Cut out a bottom and top tooth that are slightly offset. (If the chocolate cracks at all use a hot, dry offset spatula to re-melt and smooth the chocolate.)
• Make the cheesecake: Combine the gelatin with 1/4 cup water in a small microwave safe bowl and set aside to soften, about 5 minutes. Combine the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, confectioners' sugar, sour cream, vanilla and salt in a food processor and process until smooth.
• Microwave the gelatin until melted, stirring as needed, about 30 seconds. Add the gelatin to the cream cheese mixture and process to combine, about 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the springform pan, on top of the brownie bottom.
• Press the brownie eyes, nose and mouth into the batter until they are even with the top of the batter, taking care not to get any batter on top. Chill in the refrigerator until completely set, 4 hours and up to overnight.
• For the pumpkin vine and stem: Mix the frosting with green food coloring in a small bowl until it is the color of a pumpkin vine (1 to 2 drops). Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe a curly vine along the top edge of the Jack-o'-Lantern. Push the chocolate square into the top side of the cheesecake about 1/4-inch from the top to make the stem.

JACK-O'-LANTERN CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cakes according to package directions using two 10-in. fluted tube pans. Invert cakes onto wire racks; cool completely. Meanwhile, tint frosting orange using red and yellow food coloring., Cut thin slice off bottom of each cake. Spread one cake bottom with frosting; press flat sides together to make a pumpkin shape. Place a foil ball in the center to support the "stem"; top with an ice cream cake cone. Frost cake with remaining frosting. , To decorate face, roll out fondant to 1/8-in. thickness; cut into desired shapes for mouth and nose. Remove tops from two Oreo cookies; cut half-circles in filling for eyes. Press cookies and fondant into frosting to make the face.