This post is sponsored by Nestlé Carnation Milk. Ingredients
Cream cheese Granulated sugar Eggs Pumpkin puree Heavy cream Vanilla extract Ground cinnamon Ground ginger Ground nutmeg Ground cardamom All-purpose flour Pie-crust (homemade or store bought) Salted butter Granulated sugar Ground cinnamon Ground ginger
Kitchen supplies
9-inch springform pan electric stand mixer or hand mixer fall cookie cutter spatula
It’s that time of year to talk all things Thanksgiving and all things pie. When it comes to the Thanksgiving meal I really love to keep things mostly traditional. I don’t want anyone missing out on the classic, turkey, stuffing, mashed potato, and gravy experience. But, when it comes to desserts…I love creating a twist on the classics, and really playing with recipes. I also love having multiple desserts on the table…because it’s Thanksgiving and the more food the merrier, right? Enter this rather unique cheesecake that I am way too excited to share with you guys today! I’ve had this one ready for weeks now, and have simply been waiting for November to arrive to share. This cheesecake is one of the best.
Some background on the Basque-style cheesecake.
It originated in French Basque Country. Traditionally this a crustless cheesecake made with a large amount cream cheese and eggs. The biggest difference is that with a Basque-style, you will bake the cheesecake at a very high temperature in an effort to create a deep dark brown “burnt” exterior. This method of baking creates a crackly crust on the outside, while still maintaining a super creamy, almost custard-like interior. What I love most about this style of cheesecake is that it’s truly one of the easiest desserts to bake, and almost impossible to mess up. Meaning, it’s OK for this to look burnt, and it’s OK that the top has cracks throughout. The more imperfect looking the better. It’s always so nice to have stress free, easy recipes during the holidays. No need to spend hours baking one dessert.
The details.
Classic Basque cheesecake is not heavily flavored. But with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to be sure to incorporate a little bit of the classic pumpkin pie element into this recipe. So today’s Basque Cheesecake is the pumpkin spice version. And yes, it’s my personal favorite. A classic style Basque cheesecake calls for a few main ingredients, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and heavy cream. I’m adding in plenty of canned pumpkin pureè, warming autumn spices, and using a new go-to cooking and baking milk of mine, Carnation Almond Cooking Milk. If you’re unfamiliar with Carnation Almond Cooking Milk, it’s a non-dairy milk that has a super-rich taste and creamy texture due to lower amounts of water used in their milk. It’s gluten-free and USDA organic. I really love using this milk when hosting guests, as many have sensitives to dairy-based milk, (or simply prefer recipes with less dairy products).
What’s especially great about their almond milk is that it’s shelf-stable and very versatile. Perfect for everything from savory entrees (or sides) to sweet desserts. Their new re-closable tetra packs provide added convenience, as you can refrigerate them for up to 10 days. This was the perfect milk to help make my Basque pumpkin spice cheesecake rich and creamy, but with very little dairy.
The directions are quite easy. Simply cream everything together, bake for an hour, smell the deliciousness coming from your oven, and patiently wait to reveal the pretty, crackly exterior. I also decided to bake homemade ginger-cinnamon sugar cookies to serve atop this cheesecake. Oh, and of course, a dollop of whipped cream too. The cookies provide that buttery, sweet, and flaky crust that everyone loves about pumpkin pie, but without lots of work. Plus, these little cookies are way cuter than a traditional pie crust. They’re also so much more delicious with their sugar and spice coating.
I know we’re only very early into November, but I’m excited to already have this dessert on my Thanksgiving menu. It’s such an easy, make-ahead treat, that’s also super impressive… And SO GOOD. The outside is crackly, with slightly crisp edges. While the inside is the creamiest and so perfectly flavored with real pumpkin and spices. And then there are those cookies! They’re the perfect sweet and buttery finish. Can’t beat this cheesecake!
If you make this burnt Basque pumpkin spice cheesecake please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
{This post is sponsored by Nestlé Carnation Milk. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
