Cheesecake is always my favorite. I will make cheesecake whenever I buy a new 2kg package of creamcheese. Since buying a large package like this, it it cheaper. However, I will always have to figure out how to use up the cream cheese shortly after opening so that the cream cheese is still in good condition and retains good quality. It is always a good idea to make a cheesecake that uses a large quantity of cream cheese.
I wish I could afford buying separate packages of creamcheese which are higher in quality and more flexible in usage. However, I realize that, baking or cooking with limited budget doesn’t mean we cannot make a delicious dish. Only if we have enough passion for cooking and put our heart into cooking, we always can make good food for our loved ones.
I made the pumpkin puree myself by steaming the pumpkin. Then I had to let the water evaporate, otherwise the puree would be very moist. It is better to bake the pumpkin until soft with the oven, however, it takes longer time and consumes more energy, meaning more money. So I chose steaming the pumpkin instead. The final cheesecake is still very tasty.
Ingredients: (one 8” springform pan)
* For crust:
- 120g crackers
- 15g white sugar
- 50g unsalted butter, melted
* For cheesecake
- 100g light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground giner
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 454g cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
- 1 cup (240ml) pumpkin puree
* For topping:
- 240ml sour cream or plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
- 40g white sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven at 350oF (177oC). Grease the pan.
*Crust:
- Process the crackers with food processor or grinder until they become find crumbs.
- Mix the crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Press this mixture firmly onto the bottom of the pan. Put in the fridge while preparing the cheesecake filling.
* Cheesecake:
- Combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg and salt in a bowl.
- Beat, with a mixer, the cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add in the above sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
- Add one egg at a time, beat well after each addition.
- Add vanilla and pumpkin puree, beat until well combined and smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the pan. Place the pan on a tray filled with hot water into the oven. The water should cover up to half the side of the pan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes at 177oC. Then reduce the heat to 165oC and continue baking for about 20 minutes, until the edge has settled but the center is still shrinkable.
* Topping:
- Meanwhile, mix together the sour cream/ plain yogurt, vanilla and sugar.
- Pour this mixture over the cheesecake. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. If using plain yogurt, you may need to bake longer for about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Let the cheesecake cooll completely then refridgerate over night.
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