CHEESE PUMPKIN CARVING RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Rub the inside of the kabocha squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Place flesh-side down on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil and bake until cooked through (check with the tip of a paring knife), 40 minutes to 1 hour
• Set aside to cool
• Turn the cheese pumpkin upside down and, using a sharp knife, carefully remove a circular cap approximately 10 inches in diameter
• Cut the sourdough bread into 1-inch-thick slices and toast
• Lightly rub the toasted bread with the cut side of the garlic, then dice each slice and place the pieces in a large mixing bowl
• In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crispy
• Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender
• Toss in the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, then season with salt and pepper
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the diced bread
• When the cooked kabocha squash is cool enough to handle, remove the flesh with a spoon and cut into a rough dice
• Add the squash, Gruyere, Fontina and walnuts to the bowl with the bread and mix the stuffing well
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the half-and-half with the ground spices, sage and salt and pepper to taste
• Sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with the stuffing
• Pour the half-and-half mixture into the pumpkin until the liquid reaches the rim
• Return the cap to the pumpkin and place it on a foil-lined baking tray
• Bake until the pumpkin is cooked through, 1 ½ to 2 hours
• Serve warm, scooping out a bit of the pumpkin flesh from the sides, along with the stuffing

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Tightly wrap outside of 10-inch springform pan with heavy-duty foil to prevent leakage when baking in water bath later. While oven preheats, melt butter in prepared springform pan in oven. Meanwhile, in food processor with knife blade attached, pulse gingersnaps to make fine crumbs (you should have 1 1/2 cups crumbs). Stir crumbs into melted butter, then press onto bottom of pan to form crust. Bake crust 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Slowly beat in sugar and salt until blended. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, 1 at a time, sour cream, and vanilla just until smooth. Pour 5 cups cream-cheese batter into 8-cup liquid measuring cup or other container with pouring spout; set aside. With wire whisk, stir pumpkin, cinnamon, and allspice into remaining cream-cheese batter. Transfer pumpkin batter to another large measuring cup or container with spout. To create "zebra" design, pour half of pumpkin batter into springform pan. Holding white batter about 2 feet above pan, pour about half directly into center of pumpkin batter (pouring from this height will cause batter in center of cake to be pushed toward edge of pan, forming a "zebra" or bull's-eye design).* Repeat procedure three times, decreasing the amounts of batter each time and pouring from high above pan only into center, ending with white batter. Place springform pan in large roasting pan; place on center oven rack. Carefully pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up side of springform pan. Bake cheesecake 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until center barely jiggles. Remove springform pan from water bath to wire rack. Carefully remove foil from outside of pan and discard. Cool cheesecake completely in pan on wire rack. Cover cheesecake and refrigerate 6 hours or until well chilled or up to 2 days. Remove side of pan to serve.