Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

This pumpkin cheesecake recipe is about half the size of a cheesecake as it has half the quantities and is made in a flan pan.

Like most families, we love desserts, and this is just a small way to control the consumption of calories - just serve less!

Just Add	Prepare
• Equipment: A shallow non-stick removable flan pan • 3 oz/100 gm graham cracker biscuits or shredded wheat biscuits • 6 oz/180 gm butter • 7 oz/ 200 ml sweetened condensed milk • 2 cups pureed pumpkin - that's from 1 pound/ 500 grams fresh pumpkin boiled in 2 tbs sugared water • 4 oz/125 gm cream cheese • 1 tbs lime juice • cinnamon and nutmeg	Make the biscuit crumb crust • To make the biscuit crumb crust, place the crackers into a clean plastic bag. I use a medium sized freezer bag. • Knot the bag loosely after expelling as much air as you can from the bag. Be sure the bag has lots of room. • Use the base of a heavy saucepan to crush the bag of biscuits. • Move the biscuits around in the bag, and continue to crush till it becomes a fine ground crust. With graham cracker or shredded wheat biscuits this will not take long. • Melt the butter in a saucepan. • Tip in the fine biscuits crumbs all at once. • Combine well so that all the crumbs are coated in melted butter. • Spoon the mixture into the non-stick removable flan pan. • Press the biscuit mixture into the base and walls of the pan. Press firmly so that the crumb crust is firmly packed. • Leave this in the freezer to set while you prepare the next steps of this recipe. Prepare the pumpkin • The fresh pumpkin must have the outer skin and seeds removed. Wash it then cut into large chunks. • Boil in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of sugar and enough water so that it does not boil dry. The amount of water depends on the variety of pumpkin but as an estimate, start with a water level covering 3/4 of the fruit. But keep a watch so that you add more water if it is about to boil dry. • Boil till the pumpkin is very soft. • Drain off all the excess water. • Puree the pumpkin. Use a blender, but because there's just so little of this, the potato masher works just as well. Make the cheesecake filling • Pour the condensed milk into a roomy bowl. • Add 2 cups of pureed pumpkin, the cream cheese, spices and lime juice • Combine well till lovely and smooth. Fill the crumb crust • Take the crumb crust out of the freezer. You'll find it will have set quite firmly. • Spoon into the crumb crust the cheesecake filling • Return it to the refrigerator and chill for 4 hours.

Slice it and enjoy!



This is a lovely light pumpkin cheesecake recipe, not too sweet and not heavy at all.

I find this pumpkin cheesecake goes well when you have a rich heavy dinner like a hearty stew or a roast.


Tips

Substitute with low fat cream cheese to reduce calorie consumption.

For a traditional sized cheesecake, just double the quantities of everything from the biscuits, to the pumpkin, condensed milk and cream cheese.