Go to the Recipe: No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
Could you sous vide the filling at 203F rather than use a blender? Or is there a reason you need to blend it while heating it, other than to just heat it up?
The crust recipe doesn’t specify the tart pan size. 9 inch?
Canned pumpkin is not readily available where I live. How can I prepare pumpkin to match the canned kind?
since it has egg yolks in the mix, heating it to 95c without mixing will cause it to set in the bag.
Canned "Pumpkin" isn't really pumpkin anyway, it's typically squash. Pumpkin just doesn't taste as good.
Instead of canned pumpkin puree, substitute the same amount of roasted butternut squash prepared as per BraveTart's recipe here:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/11/bravetart-butternut-pumpkin-pie-recipe.html
I also love the famous little New England Sugar Pie Pumpkins that grow around here, but they are probably not found where you are either.
If you blend then strain it just after cooking you might be able to get a smooth pourable consistency and then set from there.
Like others, I really like that crust. As for the process, we’ll, my blender just won’t do that 203F thing. It peaked out after 20 minutes at about 165F. I quickly got a double boiler going and finished it off. Very good next day. This was a practice run for the upcoming holiday season. Lesson learned. Oh, and I used Instant Clear Gel instead of the carrageenan. Double the amount of the carrageenan. The resulting filling is stable and creamy, but I’ll probably triple it to 12g next time.
Will a regular KitchenAid blender heat it enough? I'm waiting for mine to burn out before buying a Vitamix lol (this recipe might actually help)
Which blender are you using?
Is it possible to replace the kappa/iota mix with for example gelatine?
@BostonBestEats where are you getting that most canned pumpkin isn't actually pumpkin, but another variety(ies) of squash?
I have the same question as Sander about the carrageenan. I don't think I'll use much and I don't want to get $60 worth of a product for a single pie. Plus, when you look up carrageenan, it is somewhat controversial. If there's a decent/half assed substitute, I'd love to know what it is as the pie looks wonderful.
you can get carrageenan for like 8 dollars on Modernist Pantry. No easy substitutions!
Are there any additional or different steps if I'd like to do the blending process in a Thermomix? Should I crank up the heat after all the dry ingredients have been incorporated?
You need to fully disperse and hydrate the carrageenans. Don't think it'll work, just putting it in a bag.
https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/what-is-in-canned-pumpkin-article
my blender o v e r h e a t e d
oh well
What size tart pan was used?
Looks like a 9". The amount of crust prepared is just enough for a 9" in my hands.
OK, I'm making this the day before, and will record my notes as I go along in case anyone else is also making it for Thanksgiving Day too...
1) Just enough crust for a 9" Gobel nonstick round tart pan (removable bottom)
2) I used Honey Graham crackers from Nabisco, and cooked for 19 minutes. Still tacky not really "firm" to touch when removed, but firmed up nicely when cooled on a rack
3) Rather than using canned puree, I'm roasting a large (1.9 kg) Butternut Squash, cut in half and cleaned, face down on a foil-lined cookie sheet for 45 min at 400°F until fork tender, as per BraveTart's recipe. 1.9 kg gave 950 g of roasted squash pulp.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/11/bravetart-butternut-pumpkin-pie-recipe.html
4) I couldn't find any "Bulgarian" high-fat buttermilk, so I went with a 50:50 mix of Kate's Real Buttermilk (low fat) and Strauss sour cream. Since many dishes on ChefSteps turn out too salty, I arbitraily reduced the salt from 5 to 3 g for the 1X recipe. Carrageenans were from ModernistPantry.
4) In my Vitamix Pro 750 Heritage blender, it took ~6 min to reach 203°F. I used the Cooking Probe for my ThermoWorks ChefAlarm, pushed under the side of the lid, to monitor the temperature. An IR thermometer shined on the outside of the blender underestimated the inside temperature by ~20°F.
5) I had about 2 minutes at most to pour the batter into a pie shell and smooth it out before it started solidifying. There was enough batter to fill one 9" pie shell completely, and then four 8 ounce Ball canning jars with the excess. Although I tried to make a pretty swirling pattern on top with my palette knife, that didn't really work as the top went from too soft to too hard pretty quickly. Best to leave it smooth rather than end up with an unattractive pockmarked surface
A pretty easy recipe to make. Served with ChefSteps World's Best Whipped Cream:
https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/world-s-best-whipped-cream
Tasting some of the leftover batter, flavor-wise, I find this a bit unbalanced between the sugar, spices and sourness. If I make it again, I think I'll drop the buttermilk & sour cream and just go with cream instead.
Updated next day after serving: After a night in the fridge, I no longer felt this tasted unbalanced. I don't know if that is due to the flavors mellowing overnight, or whether the graham cracker crust had that effect, but it turned out to be quite delicious and I would serve it again.
Haha. In Thailand, pumpkins are sooo fragrant and much more delicious than butternut squash 😜😜😜
LOVED this pie! Fun to make with a new (for me) technique. Want to make other cheesecakes like this! Any recommendations or recipes?
can't seem to find Bulgarian buttermilk anywhere. any ideas on a substitute?
Would an immersion blender in a pot over heat work as a substitute for heating via the blender?
I really like pumpkin. before that my favorite pumpkin recipe was pumpkin loaf recipe. but i am excited to try this in this holidays. Thanks for sharing.
Update: It worked! Mostly.
I put the wet ingredients into a saucier, and used my All-Clad immersion blender (600W). I had to use Turbo to get any sort of vortex. After getting everything blended in, I turned the heat to medium. It actually took a while to get it up to temp; so long that the immersion blender got very hot. I ended up swapping to a cheaper, less powerful immersion blender to keep stirring while it got hot. When I was ~2-3 degrees away, I swapped back.
After pouring and cooling, it tasted amazing. While this method is viable, I might just spring for the Vitamix blender for next time.
What is the size/dimensions of the tart pan that you are using for this recipe? 10-inch?
It is 10 inch. The smaller the tart the "more" filling you will have per crust. The pre-made crust from above is an 8 inch.
Could likely blend it (to disperse/hydrate dry ingredients) and cook SV (like the flourless cake) then pour/squeeze straight from the bag, or from a heated pitcher.
Are you kidding?
Bulgarian buttermilk? (Darigold, Bulgarian Buttermilk, according to internet this actually can be locally procured but hyperlink redirects to out of stock Amazon item).
Two different types Carrageenan (kappa [cheapest found, can only be ordered, 1 lb US $37.99 not incl S&H] & iota [Iota Carrageenan 8 oz. {227 Grams}US $29.99, not incl S&H])?
Breville Super Q Blender - $549.95!?
Thermocouple probes (Type K) cheapest found, can only be ordered, $139.00?
Cake turntable (cheapest found =$11.39),
Palette knife (might be the only utensil we have, but of course, far too large). Digital scale?
This recipe sounded intriguing/enticing from the title and image and the more I read the more I realized that this recipe can only be completed by well to do individuals in most semi to professional grade kitchens (equipment AND ingredients).
What is the thought process behind posting something like this; do you actually post any recipes for the average home cook? Kudos to "BostonBestEats Studio Pass" for documenting their attempt[s] to modify this recipe to the best of their abilities identifying successes as well as pitfalls. Shame on you ChefSteps for making the rest of us feel "less" as a result.
You are correct. This is a more advanced recipe — just the sort of technical exhibition I come here for. I think some of what I see in your critique is overstated.
This recipe calls for tools and ingredients that are both accessible and affordable for the aspirational cook. By my math, your outlay for essential equipment and specialty ingredients (assuming you have a blender) would be $55, give or take. While I appreciate that the upfront cost for a pie may be a shock, your investment in future pursuits will surely make up for it. Happy cooking!
I saw Bulgarian buttermilk for sale by the 1/2 gallon at Walmart - of all places.
Do use a probe thermocouple. My IR under measured by >10 degrees once it was hot (steam temp?)
Why heating while blending? Is it because of the eggs? What if we put a bit of cornstarch in there? I am thinking of omitting them and have a looser filling.
Are there any non pumpkin cheesecake recipes? How would I alter the recipe? Replace pumpkin with more cream cheese?
One thing I know is that the carageenans need heat to hydrate. Did you ever try and sub cornstarch for eggs? Seems to me the texture would be wrong, the eggs provide fat and emulsifiers and proteins for structure.
I can't imagine it's that much different than standard buttermilk.
