SK Marbled Pumpkin Gingersnap Tart

Merry Christmas! We’re one of those new-agey, change-the-rules-because-we-wanna families that open our gifts on Christmas eve night by the fire, after a lovely dinner out, savoring a slice of marbled pumpkin gingersnap tart. Growing up I spent Christmas morning at my grandparents house, and Christmas eve at my Oma’s house – so this new tradition didn’t turn my world upside down. Now Christmas day is spent making and eating brunch, and flying back to SF to get back to the daily grind on the 26th. Reality was bound to catch back up with me. Plus, now I have a million Starbucks gift card dollars, so at least I’ll be well caffeinated for re-entry.

Though this looks like an overwhelmingly indulgent and rich dessert, it is surprisingly light - in taste, not necessarily in calorie. We tactfully made ours into bars that we could hand over to the neighbors at their Christmas pot luck tomorrow night.

Once the tart is pressed into the pan, prepare the two batters, and “marble” together. The result is oh-so pretty.

Marbled Pumpkin Gingersnap Tart

Crust
16 gingersnap cookies
5.5 honey graham crackers
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Cheesecake batter
4 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk

Pumpkin batter
1 egg white
1 egg
1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream

crust: finely grind the ginger snaps and graham crackers together in food processor and add melted butter until cookies are moist. Spread and firmly press into your tart pan.

Batters: in a medium sized bowl, combine cheesecake ingredients and blend until smooth. In another bowl, beat egg and egg white until fluffy. Whisk in pumpkin, sugars and spices until incorporated. Gradually whisk in heavy cream and pour mixture into crust. Scoop cheesecake batter into batter and marble with a knife, avoiding scrapping the crust on the bottom.

Baking: Preheat oven to 425. Bake for 10 minutes at 425, then turn temperature down to 350 and cook for 30-40 more minutes, or until center is set and toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.