Check the internet, it's inundated with Halloween recipes and how to's. Uses for hollowed out pumpkins, pumpkin flesh and how to turn empty jam jars into spooky hanging lanterns.
Are you sick of them yet?! I hope not because, I've got another one coming your way in the form of a baked pumpkin cheesecake!
Americans are all about the pumpkin pie. It''s like their version of our apple tart or soda bread. It's something they all know how to make. Tradition. I like to get traditional sometimes-it's good for the soul!
So, back to the pumpkin! Since it's a pumpkin cheesecake we're going to need pumpkin purée. I bought a tin of pumpkin purée in Fallon & Byrne, but, it is very easy to make your own. If you have pumpkin flesh, roast it for 20-40 minutes in an oven set to 200°C until tender. Once cooked, place in a bowl and purée with a hand blender. If you don't have pumpkin lying around and cannot find tinned pumpkin purée, you can use butternut squash or even sweet potato and roast it the very same! Then, all you need to do is change the name of your dessert accordingly!
This really is a delicious way to use pumpkin. I love how pumpkin works well in savoury and sweet dishes-it's an all round ingredient!
Enjoy,
Holly
For the biscuit base: mix together the crushed biscuits, orange zest and melted butter.
Once combined, pour into the base of a lined springform tin.
Push the crumbs into the bottom of the tin until you have a flat even base.
Since this is pumpkin cheesecake we're gonna need pumpkin purée-obvi. Here is the one I used, you can get it in Fallon & Bryne or on the internet.
The pumpkin purée is mixed with eggs, cream cheese, dark brown sugar, vanilla essence and ground cinnamon.
Whisk everything together until smooth and pour on top of the biscuit base.
Bake at 170°C for 1 1/2 hours.
1 x 25cm springform tin
Biscuit Base
250gDigestive/Gingernuts, I used half and half
75g Butter,melted
1 Orange-zested
Bash the biscuits and mix with the melted butter and orange zest.
Push evenly into the base of a lined springform tin-set aside.
Bash the biscuits and mix with the melted butter and orange zest.
Push evenly into the base of a lined springform tin-set aside.
CheesecakeFilling
450g FullFat Cream Cheese
400g Solid Pumpkin Purée
400g Solid Pumpkin Purée
3 Eggs
200g Dark Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 TeaspoonVanilla Extract
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Place all ingredients into a bowl.
Whisk until super smooth.
Pour on top of the biscuit base.
Bake at 170°C for 90 minutes until set but still slightly wobbly.
Allow to cool completely before drizzling with the topping below. Slice.
Orange Topping
3 Tablespoon Natural Yoghurt-Greek/Vanilla, it's up to you!
1 Tablespoon Icing Sugar
1-3 Tablespoon Orange Juice
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Place all ingredients into a bowl.
Whisk until super smooth.
Pour on top of the biscuit base.
Bake at 170°C for 90 minutes until set but still slightly wobbly.
Allow to cool completely before drizzling with the topping below. Slice.
Orange Topping
3 Tablespoon Natural Yoghurt-Greek/Vanilla, it's up to you!
1 Tablespoon Icing Sugar
1-3 Tablespoon Orange Juice
Mix the yoghurt and icing sugar with 1 tablespoon of orange juice until smooth.
Add more orange juice until you have reached the consistency of thin honey.
Spoon over the pumpkin cheesecake.