Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Cheesecake

Serves 8 in about 1 hour. Graham crackers goes in first, and whipped cream finishes the pot.

Ingredients

• 8 graham crackers
• 2 ½ tpsp butter melted
• 2 tsp sugar*
• ¼ tsp ginger powder
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 2 8oz pkgs of cream cheese room temperature
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin, not pie filling)
• ½ cup heavy cream room temperature
• ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ¾ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger powder
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp all purpose flour
• 3 eggs room temperature
• ¼ cup brown sugar (in addition to the white sugar)
• Chocolate or butterscotch ganache drizzle (instructions below)
• Whipped cream (try adding a little cinnamon to your whipped cream!)

Method

1. Use a 7 or 8 inch cheesecake pan **Spray the pan with baking spray. If you have parchment paper, cut a piece to fit the bottom of your pan and spray that too.
2. Put 1/2 cups of water in the inner liner of the pressure cooker.Put the trivet in the pot as well.
3. Usually made with aluminum foil, used to get the cheesecake in and out of the pot easily.Fold a 28” length of foil along the long end 3 times. You will end up with a sling that is 28” x 3”
4. Break up and place the graham crackers in a food processor.
5. Stir in 2 tsp sugar and the ginger powder and cinnamon.
6. Pulse several times until the graham crackers turn into fine crumbs.
7. Tip in the melted butter and pulse several times to combine and soften the crumbs. You may need to scrape the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few more times.
8. Tip in crust mixture into your prepared pan and use your fingers or the bottom of a small glass to press the mixture into place. Cover the entire bottom of the pan and come up the sides just a little.
9. Put the pan in the freezer to chill while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
10. Clean the crust residue out of the food processor.
11. Tip in the cream cheese and sugar (and optional brown sugar, if using) and process until smooth and creamy.
12. Stir in the vanilla, pumpkin puree, heavy cream, spices, and flour. process until well blended and smooth and creamy.
13. Stir in the eggs last and pulse just a few times. Then take the bowl off of the food processor and gently mix by hand to incorporate the eggs. It is important that you do not whip or over mix the eggs as that will ruin the texture and density of your cheesecake!
14. Take the crust from the freezer and pour the filling into the pan.
15. Cover the pan with a paper towel, then with a piece of foil. Crimp the edges around the pan so it stays taut and secure.
16. Lay the sling out and set the pan on it, centered. Gather up the two ends and very carefully lift the pan and set it in the pressure cooker, leaving the sling with it. Just fold over the two ends of the sling on top of the pan.
17. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and set the steam vent to the Sealing position.
18. Press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button and then the + or - button to choose 48 minutes.*** Make sure it is set to High Pressure.
19. When cook cycle ends, let the cooker naturally release pressure for 20 minutes. Then manually release any remaining pressure.
20. When the pin drops and it is safe to open the lid, do so carefully, facing away from you.
21. Leave covered for about 10 minutes, it will continue to cook, then carefully peel off the foil/paper towel.
22. The cheesecake is done if the center couple of inches jiggles just a little bit when shook. You don't want it too jiggly, but you do want some.
23. Leave it to cool for about an hour, then put the pan in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
24. Lift out from pan and serve as is, or with whipped cream. You can also garnish with a chocolate ganache drizzle or a butterscotch ganache drizzle
25. This is not a specific recipe as you don't need much for a drizzle.In a microwave safe bowl, add a handful of chocolate or butterscotch chips.
26. Tip in a couple teaspoons of heavy cream and microwave for 25 seconds.
27. Mix slowly at first so the cream doesn't fly out of the bowl. Then keep stirring and the ganache will come together. If it is too thick, add a little more cream, and warm for 10 seconds in the microwave again. Then stir more. It will come together! This is a very forgiving sauce!
28. *Note: The chocolate melts faster and easier than the butterscotch.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.