Pumpkin cheesecake
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes
-
250g/8.8ozs packet of digestive biscuits
-
140g/5ozs butter at room temperature
-
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
425g/14oz can of pumpkin filling or fresh cooked pumpkin, well drained
-
500g/1.1lbs cream cheese
-
200g/7ozs caster sugar
-
6 eggs
-
Lemon zest from 1/2 a lemon
Step 1 - Line the base of a 19cms or 23cms diameter springform tin with baking paper (see note above)
Step 2 - In a food processor, blitz the biscuits and cinnamon until crumb like and then add in the butter until it resembles damp sand. Press into the base and sides of a 19cms springform tin or just the base of a 23cms springform tin. Place in fridge.
Step 3 - Wash and dry food processor and preheat oven to 160C/320F. Put on a full kettle of water to boil. Process pumpkin and cream cheese together scraping down the sides of the processor when necessary (you may have to do this in two lots depending on how big your processor is). Add sugar and process and then crack each egg down the funnel and process until combined. Lastly add lemon zest.
Step 4 - Take out springform tin with biscuit base from the fridge. Wrap two layers of clingfilm around the base and sides to form a barrier to stop the water getting through the springform join. Then using two sheets of strong foil reinforce this.
Step 5 - In a deep baking dish sit the quadruple reinforced springform tin and pour the cheesecake filling onto the base. Lastly pour boiling water around the springform tin carefully avoiding the cake so that it is 1/3 or 1/2way filled up to the side with water. Bake for 1 hour and 20 or 30 (or even 40) minutes. Test with a skewer and once done, remove from the water bath and take off the foil (the clingfilm will have melted away).
Step 6 - Cool and then place in the fridge overnight. Don't taste it warm from the oven as this, like all cheesecakes, comes into its own when cold.
Adapted from _Feast _by Nigella Lawson
This is also my entry for Mansi's Fun n Food Vegetarian Thanksgiving event! :)