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Active ingredient: Cranberries

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH CRANBERRY CONFIT AND GINGER-CRANBERRY CRUMBLE
Meghan Thompson of Steel & Rye

Makes one 10- to 12-inch cheesecake

For the triple-ginger/cranberry dough, combine the following ingredients using the creaming method (Google it): 12 oz. butter, 2 cups packed brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2cup molasses, 41/2 cups flour, 1 tbs. and 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tbs. and 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 3 tbs. grated fresh ginger (freeze the whole root first), 1 cup crystallized ginger, and 1 cup rehydrated dried cranberries. You can press the dough into a pie shell before chilling overnight; bake cold at 350 degrees until lightly brown. Once cool, you can add your desired pie filling (see right). Use the excess dough for cookie dough and/or cut into chunks, bake, cool, and crumble as a garnish.

For the no-bake cheesecake, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature and beat 1 lb. cream cheese and 8 oz. butter until soft. Add 1 lb. mascarpone. Slowly add 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp. salt followed by 8 oz. canned pumpkin puree (or 6 oz. melted semi-sweet chocolate). Finish with spices and seasonings to taste. Pipe into desired vessel or tart shell, and chill to set.

For the cranberry confit, add 12 oz. glucose or light corn syrup to 1 lb. fresh cranberries (just enough to cover the berries). Cover and cook on low heat under tender. Chill before cranberries burst; bring back to room temperature and serve as a garnish.