Pumpkin Cheesecake With Gingersnap Crust

12 ounces gingersnaps

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

6 tablespoons salted butter, melted

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 

Dash of kosher salt 

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel sauce, or Hot fudge sauce, optional

Whipped Cream, optional

Chopped pecans, optional

For the pumpkin gingersnap cheesecake: In a food processor or blender, grind the gingersnaps until fine. Pour into a bowl and stir in the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until soft, scraping the sides once. Mix in the pumpkin, scraping the sides once or twice. Add the eggs 1 at a time, allowing them to mix in, then add the sour cream and mix. With the mixer on low, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Thoroughly scrape the bowl and mix to ensure everything is smooth and mixed in. Pour the filling into the pan, smoothing the top. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is no longer soupy but still slightly jiggly, about 50 - 65 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door just a hair and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with drizzle of sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, and a sprinkle of chopped pecans. 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

For the cinnamon roll dough:

¾ cup milk 

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons quick rise yeast (1/4-ounce package yeast)

¾ cup pumpkin puree 

¼ cup melted butter

1 egg, at room temperature

4 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

3/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

¼ cup butter, at room temperature

For the cream cheese glaze:

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup powdered sugar

4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Pinch of salt

Sprinkle of ground cinnamon

Warm milk to around 110 degrees F. Add warm milk and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and sprinkle yeast on top. Mix on low a few seconds. Add pumpkin puree, room temperature egg and melted butter, to mixer and mix until smooth and well combined and creamy. Next stir in bread flour, pumpkin pie spice and salt until a dough begins to form. Place dough hook on mixer and knead dough on low speed for 8-10 minutes. Dough should form into a nice ball and be slightly sticky. (If you don’t want to use an electric mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on a well-floured surface. Transfer dough ball to a large bowl greased with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray, then cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 14x16 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough, leaving a ¼ inch margin at the far side of the dough. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough, then rub the sugar into the butter. Tightly roll dough up the dough, starting from the 14-inch side (the smaller side) and place seam side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough as best you can. Then cut into 1 inch sections with a serrated knife. You should get 12 rolls. Place cinnamon rolls in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. I highly recommend lining the pan with parchment paper as well, in case any of the filling ends up leaking out. Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel and let the cinnamon rolls rise again for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and towel and bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer or in a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup and salt. Beat until smooth. Spread over the pumpkin cinnamon rolls and serve! Sprinkle cinnamon rolls with a little cinnamon for a pretty look.