Way back when I first started as a baker, one dessert concept I had was a baked chocolate-pumpkin cheesecake cupcake, inspired by the Halloween colors of black and orange. While Halloween obviously is over(how we’re already in November, I really don’t know), I still wanted to make a pretty little pumpkin-chocolate cheesecake number, just in time for Thanksgiving in case you wanted to make an autumnal dessert, but for a chocolate-lover! Unlike with the cupcake iteration that I made before in high school, this version is no-bake. For the layers of this cheesecake brulee, we have a chocolate crust, made by first taking Oreos, crushing them and mixing that with melted chocolate, and pressing that into a ring mold, and then on top of that, we spread first a chocolate cheesecake mixture, then a pumpkin cheesecake mixture, both of which are no-bake cheesecakes, freeze the whole thing solid, then brulee the top with some sugar to finish. The end result is crunchy, creamy, nutty, sweet, and bitter. All things that describe a quality dessert, in my opinion! The idea to brulee the top really came from my love of bruleed cheesecakes and cheesetarts, something I experienced firsthand in Osaka with Pablo Cheese Tarts, and it is an easy way to add a crunchy texture and some much-needed bitterness to an otherwise rich and heavy dessert, like a cheesecake. What I love about this dessert as it pertains to the holidays is that since a majority of it(sans the crust of course) requires no baking, you can make it way in advanced, and just have it sitting around in the freezer while you use up your oven to roast your turkey, casseroles, or veggies! I find myself playing tetris a lot with my fridge, stove space, oven space, and counter tops when cooking for the holidays, so having something where you can say confidently it’s done, checked off, and good to go is such a time/stress saver!

Makes 1 6-inch cheesecake, or 6-8 portions:
For the crust:
4oz Oreos, cookies only, filling removed
a pinch of salt
2oz dark chocolate

In a food processor, start by blitzing the Oreos and salt into a fine powder. Over a double boiler, melt 1.5oz of the dark chocolate and allow that to reach 120 degrees F. Take the chocolate off heat and stir until it reaches 105 degrees F. Stir into that the remaining chocolate, mixing until the chocolate comes down to 90 degrees F. Fish out any unmelted bits of the chocolate and pour into the melted chocolate your crushed Oreos. Mix together until combined, then pour and press the crust mixture into the bottom of a 6-inch ring mold placed on a lined sheet tray. Transfer the mold and tray into the freezer while you work on your cheesecake fillings.

For the dark chocolate cheesecake filling:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp gelatin powder + 2 tbsp cold water
3oz dark chocolate
1 tbsp black cacao powder
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a pot, bring cream, gelatin, chocolate, black cacao, salt, and sugar to a simmer. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and vanilla until soft and spreadable. Once the gelatin, chocolate, and sugar are dissolved into the cream, pour into the cream cheese and whisk until combined. Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust and spread in an even layer. Return to the freezer while you work on the pumpkin filling.

For the pumpkin filling:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp gelatin powder + 2 tbsp cold water
3oz pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a pot, dissolve the gelatin into the heavy cream. Once the gelatin is dissolved, whisk into that the puree, spices, salt, and sugar, mixing until everything else is melted in. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and vanilla until smooth and spreadable. Fold into that the pumpkin mixture to form your cheesecake filling. Pour the cheesecake filling over the chocolate filling in the same ring mold. Re-freeze the cheesecake for 2 hours before attempting to unmold.

For final assembly:
Granulated sugar

Unmold the cheesecake and sprinkle roughly 3 tbsp of granulated sugar on top. Using a blowtorch, gently brulee the top until the sugar is golden brown and evenly melted in a thin layer on top.