Pumpkin Cheesecake Gallette
Go ahead, call me a "Basic White Chick". I love fall. I am obsessed with boots and scarves. I prefer autumn to summer. And most of all, I LOVE PUMPKIN. While most pumpkin-obsessed foodies are actually referring to the pumpkin spice and the natural flavors of nutmeg and cloves, I actually love all things PUMPKINS. The gourds, the colors, the textures, everything. I love using them in decorating my house, and of COURSE I love to use them in baking and cooking!
Though I'm obsessed with pumpkins, most of the time I can't handle the ONE thing people think of when they think of pumpkin baking: the pumpkin pie. I don't really care for most pumpkin pie! They're either too gelatinous, not enough crust to pumpkin ratio, too much cloves, or whatever. Most of the time, I'm not a huge fan of the typical pumpkin pie! I know... Maybe I'm not so "basic" after all.
Either way, pumpkin is my JAM. Since I am not particularly looking forward to the typical pumpkin pie dessert this year come the holidays, I thought I'd take matters into my own hands and make the perfect pumpkin pie-ish dessert - Pumpkin Cheesecake Gallette!
A gallette is a French term, typically referring to a freeform, flat and circular crusty cake. They can be either savory or sweet, and lately the sweet versions have been popping up all over. I like to call them "Lazy Man's Pie", because they are just so simple and basically a pie... just flat and folded instead of in a tin and with pinched pastry edges.
I decided to start with a store bought pie crust (if someone else can make a pie crust FOR me and it tastes just as good, why not let them??), fill it with a pumpkin cheesecake filling, along with a cream cheese decrative finish and some deliciously sweet candied pecans. I was just so excited while making this holiday treat (in 100 degree weather mind you!! The joys of being a food blogger... you make holiday treats in the summer... lol), I was dancing around the kitchen singing Christmas carols to myself. *This was crazy, seeing as the 100 degree weather and all....*
Eat it on a plate like a pie, topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce and mooooooore candied pecans, or eat it like a pizza and pick that baby up with your hands like ya mean it! Not only does this dish make for stunning pictures, but MAN is it tasty! The easy-breeziness of the dessert makes it that much more tempting to make for a family gathering, as well. Imagine all the compliments you'll get! This Pumpkin Gallette looks so much harder and fancier than it really is. So give it a try, why don't ya! Let me know how you LOVE it!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Gallette
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 1 Gallette, 8 slices
Candied Pecans:
1 cup chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Pumpkin Cheesecake Gallette:
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon flour
1 Pillsbury pie crust, thawed and unrolled
1 egg
1 Tablespoon water
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, melt the 2 Tablespoons of butter and the 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. Mix until no longer grainy, then toss in the chopped pecans. Stir until coated with the candy mixture, then pour onto wax/parchment paper to let cool. Don't cook the sugar/butter mix too long, because then it will separate from the nuts and won't coat them properly.
2. In a bowl or stand mixer, combine both packages of cream cheese, 1 egg and sugar. Mix until fully combined, and no lumps are in the batter. Remove a little less than half of the mixture and set aside. To the mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and flour. Mix fully.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully lay the pie crust on the pan and gently prick the center of the pie crust with a fork multiple times. Pour the pumpkin cream cheese mixture in the center of the pie crust and spread avoiding the outer 1-2 inches of the crust (see the above pictures for an example).
4. Take the reserved cream cheese mixture and pour into a bag. Cut the corner and drizzle the cream cheese across the pumpkin mixture all in one direction (again, see above picture for an example). Then drag a toothpick across the cream cheese in the OPPOSITE direction (perpendicular) of the lines of cream cheese.
5. Gently fold up the pie crust around the pumpkin mixture, careful not to press the edges underneath the batter, just setting gently on top. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
6. While the gallette bakes, prepare the egg wash by mixing the remaining egg with the Tablespoon of water. After 20 minutes of baking, remove the gallette from the oven and raise the heat to 400 degrees. Brush the egg wash around the edges of the pie crust, trying to get every exposed part. Place back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
7. When finished baking, place the pan on a cookie sheet away from any heat sources and let cool. Top with the candied pecans, whipped cream, and any other tasty toppings you may desire.
8. ENJOY and post with #perfectleehungry
