Some cheesecakes are the culinary equivalent of a punch in the gut: too sweet, too heavy, too filling. This one, first published in The Times in 1984, is delightfully different. It's lightly-sweet, slightly tangy and gently laced with spiced pumpkin flavor. The texture is surprisingly airy. Serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream or créme fraîche.
Ingredients
- 2 c ground pecans
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 egg white, beaten until frothy
- 1 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
- 4 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 1/2 lb cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 2 1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon rind
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (or use 3 tablespoons flour)
- 1 c heavy cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 lb pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
- Coarsely grated lemon rind for garnish
Instructions
For the crust, mix nuts with sugar, egg white, ginger and rind just until mixture is bound together. Press into bottom and a little up the sides of 10-inch spring-form pan.
For the filling, lightly beat eggs and yolks; add softened cream cheese and sugar and beat until thoroughly mixed.
Beat in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, lemon rind and cornstarch or flour. Beat in cream, vanilla and pumpkin.
Pour into nut crust. Place pan of hot water in bottom of oven to keep cake from cracking. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 275 degrees and bake 50 to 60 minutes longer. When done, the cheesecake will look set, but the center might still be jiggly. It will set as it cools.
Turn off heat and allow cake to cool in oven overnight, about eight hours. Then chill.
Remove spring-form before serving and decorate cake with coarsely grated rind.