Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust & Toll House Pie

Several weeks ago I posted a recipe for gingersnaps, one of my husband's favorite cookies.  I mentioned in that post that I'd be sharing with you a pumpkin cheesecake recipe which uses crushed gingersnaps.  Unfortunately, pumpkin cheesecake is not on our Thanksgiving menu this year, and since I don't think it would be a good idea for me to eat an entire cheesecake by myself over the next few days, I'm going to provide you with the recipe I used last year, and then how I changed the crust to work with gingersnaps.

Source: marthastewart.com via Lauren on Pinterest

The ingredients for the crust on this cheesecake are graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter.  I simply substituted gingersnaps for the graham crackers, omitted the sugar, and kept the butter.  You want to make sure your gingersnaps are good and crunchy or you'll end up with a chewy crust.


Also, someone asked what Toll House pie was in a comment on my Thanksgiving Menu post.  Well, here you have it!  I'm hoping to have recipes of all our favorite Thanksgiving dishes, but won't have them until the week of Thanksgiving.  I know, sorry!  If there's a recipe you really want, just email me, or ask in a comment and I can send you the recipe, sans pictures, of course.  Hope you enjoy these tasty recipes!

Source: verybestbaking.com via Lauren on Pinterest

I never use nuts in my Toll House Pie, and I always serve it warm with vanilla ice cream.  Watch out, it's rich!

Day 24: Gingersnaps

My husband just started a new work schedule yesterday, which includes working 10 hour days, and his week begins on Sunday.  It's going to be an adjustment for our family, but we're trying to make the most of it and I'm particularly thankful that he isn't working nights.  In order to make him a bit happier when he came home, I decided to make some of his favorite cookies yesterday: gingersnaps.  Now, I have to be honest with you that I do not like these cookies, never have, probably never will.  But, they are a classic and perfect for the fall.

These would be great tied up with a little twine and ribbon as a gift to your neighbor.  I also like to use leftover gingersnaps to make a crumb for pumpkin cheesecake.  That was my original plan with these, but the hubby took the batch to work, so I don't know if there will be any left; perhaps I'll make another batch and then share with you my pumpkin cheesecake recipe.  Anyone interested in that??

Gingersnaps
Printable Version

3/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used part butter crisco and part shortening)
1 cup sugar, plus more to roll the cookies in
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease some cookie sheets.  Beat together the shortening and 1 cup sugar.

 Add the egg, and beat until light and fluffy, then add the molasses.  Pour in flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon, and beat until smooth and blended.

Gather up some dough and roll between your palms to make a 1-inch ball,

then roll each ball in sugar.

Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies have spread and the tops have cracked.

 Remove from the sheets and cool on a rack.

source:  Fannie Farmer Cookbook