Soggy pumpkin cheesecake crust

LotusCakeStudio · #1 11-12-2004, 02:08 AM

I pre-bake the crust (no added sugar) until it is completely baked. Six ounces of ground gingersnaps (roughly 1-1/2 cups) to 3 T. margarine.

I already add 4 T. of cornstarch to 3# of filling (half pumpkin and half cream cheese) and it does help, but liquid still comes seeping out after about a day. I saw a sweet potato cheesecake recipe that calls for 1 T. of flour. Would that work better to absorb the extra liquid? I even tried tying the pumpkin in cheesecloth and letting the liquid drain out and that didn't really help. Any other tips? This is the only cheesecake I'm having problems with and aside from the leaking problem, it's a great recipe and my top seller.

phatch · #2 11-12-2004, 08:01 AM

Cook's Illustrated solved their pumpkin cheesecake sogginess by spreading the pumpkin out on baking sheets and letting it evaporate for a time, or something very similar. I don't remember the exact details off the top of my head.

Phil

Headless Chicken · #3 11-12-2004, 08:59 AM

I just roasted a whole pumpkin and running into the same issue, its still releasing loads of liquid. I was thinking of pureeing the pumpkin and running it through a fine strainer, I havn't tried it yet so I don't know if it'll work or not.

momoreg · #4 11-12-2004, 02:10 PM

Try adding sugar to your crumbs. It will caramelize and harden when you pre-bake the crust, whereas crumbs and butter alone will not.

panini · #5 11-12-2004, 04:42 PM

I absolutely agree with momo.
We use bread Graham crumbe with sugar and pumpkin spice. prebake. We don't use fresh because of the volume. Not huge but 100+ this week.
We returned this years libby, seems most of the crop was h2o++.
We switched to Seneca.
LCS I personally think I would go to butter. The marg might be keeping it soft.
I know you know to mix your CS with the sugar. We also use a hard flour 12%.
HeadChick Draining is needed. a food mill works better

phatch · #6 11-12-2004, 04:50 PM

Glanced at Cook's Illustrated's recipe today. They turn the pumpkin out on paper towels and on top too. Some blotting and repeat.

Here's what I'd do. Get a clean dish towel. Put your pumpkin/puree in the middle of the dishtowel. Draw up the four corners into your hand to form a bag. Step outside and whirl the bag around hard and fast. I do this with lettuce as I don't have a salad spinner. A spinner might do the job too, but I don't think it generates as much force which the pumpkin will probably need.

Phil

LotusCakeStudio · #7 11-12-2004, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momoreg

Try adding sugar to your crumbs. It will caramelize and harden when you pre-bake the crust, whereas crumbs and butter alone will not.

This is what I thought, but kept running into the leaking problem. A pastry chef instructor friend of mine suggested leaving the sugar out b/c... well now I can't remember, but something to do with sugar turning into syrup...??? In or out, it doesn't matter. It still leaks. So I have been leaving it out because it's just one less thing to do. I haven't tried it since I've been adding cornstarch so I'll give it a whirl again. Thanks.

LotusCakeStudio · #8 11-13-2004, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panini

I absolutely agree with momo.
We use bread Graham crumbe with sugar and pumpkin spice. prebake. We don't use fresh because of the volume. Not huge but 100+ this week.
We returned this years libby, seems most of the crop was h2o++.
We switched to Seneca.
LCS I personally think I would go to butter. The marg might be keeping it soft.
I know you know to mix your CS with the sugar. We also use a hard flour 12%.
HeadChick Draining is needed. a food mill works better

I don't use Libby. I use some generic brand since I didn't notice any difference. Personally, I use butter, but for vegan stuff I can't. What is CS?

LotusCakeStudio · #9 11-13-2004, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phatch

Glanced at Cook's Illustrated's recipe today. They turn the pumpkin out on paper towels and on top too. Some blotting and repeat.

Here's what I'd do. Get a clean dish towel. Put your pumpkin/puree in the middle of the dishtowel. Draw up the four corners into your hand to form a bag. Step outside and whirl the bag around hard and fast. I do this with lettuce as I don't have a salad spinner. A spinner might do the job too, but I don't think it generates as much force which the pumpkin will probably need.

Phil

As stated earlier, I already tried this. I let the pumpkin strain through cheesecloth getting out 1/2 c. or more of liquid per 29 oz. can. It still leaks. Not that I was ever interested in doing it when I have a lot of cheesecakes to bake! Hehe.

panini · #10 11-13-2004, 07:31 AM

LCS
CS corn starch. I watched my guys closely last night with you in mind. I just wanted to mention they spend lots of time tamping the crust with upside-down wedding plates. They also shorten the cook time on the crust and increase the temp. Your trying for a cracker effect so you need to get that marg hot enough to fry the crumbs a little. Your burn point with marg is higher then butter. They went 450 for 10-12 min. I could almost lift one before pouring. We don't use springforms though, we use the bottom-pops.
good luck
hey Phil. if your still aroung, would you have somebody just snap a picture of you outside twirling this pumpkin around. Might make for good conversation

phatch · #11 11-13-2004, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LotusCakeStudio

As stated earlier, I already tried this. I let the pumpkin strain through cheesecloth getting out 1/2 c. or more of liquid per 29 oz. can. It still leaks. Not that I was ever interested in doing it when I have a lot of cheesecakes to bake! Hehe.

No you didn't. You didn't whirl it. Centrifugal force was the key of my suggestion, not CI's. But yes, it wouldn't work well in volume.

I haven't done it with pumpkin, just salad. Come camping, you have a better chance of seeing me do it where I'm equipment and time constrained.

Phil

cheflayne · #12 11-13-2004, 11:01 AM

What about brushing the crust with chocolate or toffee and letting it set up before filling crust?

LotusCakeStudio · #13 12-02-2004, 05:19 PM

I almost forgot about this thread!!!

Yes, I mix my cornstarch with my sugar. I read about this years ago and have always done it. However, I have no idea WHY it's done? Does it do something special?

I bake my crust at 350* for 13 minutes. It comes out almost burnt. If I left it in longer, it would definitely be burned. At least with the cookies and margarine I'm using. I don't use springforms either. Just 3" tall cake pans.

Quote:

Originally Posted by panini

LCS
CS corn starch. I watched my guys closely last night with you in mind. I just wanted to mention they spend lots of time tamping the crust with upside-down wedding plates. They also shorten the cook time on the crust and increase the temp. Your trying for a cracker effect so you need to get that marg hot enough to fry the crumbs a little. Your burn point with marg is higher then butter. They went 450 for 10-12 min. I could almost lift one before pouring. We don't use springforms though, we use the bottom-pops.
good luck
hey Phil. if your still aroung, would you have somebody just snap a picture of you outside twirling this pumpkin around. Might make for good conversation

LotusCakeStudio · #14 12-02-2004, 05:22 PM

Well I didn't think the method is what you were getting at, but the result which was extracting the liquid. As long as it's out, it doesn't matter how it was done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phatch

No you didn't. You didn't whirl it. Centrifugal force was the key of my suggestion, not CI's. But yes, it wouldn't work well in volume.

I haven't done it with pumpkin, just salad. Come camping, you have a better chance of seeing me do it where I'm equipment and time constrained.

Phil