Photo: Anna Pusack

With Halloween just behind us and Thanksgiving ahead, there are pumpkins everywhere (even in the Northeast where Hurricane Irene severely hampered many farmers). While most people automatically think of pumpkin pie for a fall dessert, another delicious item to consider is pumpkin cheesecake. The following recipe is derived from MomsWhoThink.com,  but with my own twist. It’s not as cheesy as your usual cheesecake, but certainly just as creamy. And using fresh pumpkin makes all the difference, so I’ve included a quick how-to to make your own pumpkin puree.

Home-made Pumpkin Puree:

Choose a small sized pumpkin, often called a sweet pumpkin or cheese pumpkin from your local farmer’s market. These pumpkins are sweeter than your ubiquitous jack-o-lantern pumpkin and will yield around 5-6 cups of puree.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut the pumpkin in half horizontally and place cut-side down on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 40-60 minutes, or until you can easily stick a fork through the outer skin.
4. Remove from the oven and carefully turn each half over to cool.
5. Scoop out the meat into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
6. Use immediately or place in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Nutty Crust

Photo: Anna Pusack

Crust:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup pitted and chopped medjool dates

Filling:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

 Preparation:

1. Place the almonds, pecans, and dates into a food processor and blend until coarsely ground. Press into the bottom and half way up the sides of a 9” springform pan. Set aside for now.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Beat softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until fluffy. This may take a while, but stick with it. This is when you get the lightness that makes cheesecake so delicious. But careful not to over-whip the cream cheese because then you may get butter.
4. Next, gradually add the brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and spices.
5. In a separate small bowl, briefly whisk the eggs. Add half of the whisked eggs to the pumpkin mixture and beat until incorporated. Do the same with the second half of the whisked eggs.
6. Add the salt, beating until creamy, then pour the mixture evenly into the prepared crust. Spread using a spatula and wipe the sides clean.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is browned but cheesecake is still slightly jiggly.
8. Transfer cheesecake to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan sides to loosen cheesecake.
9. Cool completely, cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 6 hours.

Photo: Anna Pusack

Enjoy!