Sunday, October 14, 2012

33 #SundaySupper Comfort Food: Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

gluten free, cheesecake, pumpkin

Hey everybody, it's Sunday and time for another #SundaySupper! Today's theme is comfort food, and features special guest is Lee Woodruff. She's a mother, author, and CBS This Morning contributor. Check out her latest book Those We Love Most, and join us in our twitter discussion this evening! Join our chat tonight 7pm by searching for the #SundaySupper hashtag on Twitter. My recipe for today is a gluten free pumpkin cheesecake. It's filled with pumpkin and fall spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice. This recipe includes a higher ratio of spices than most other recipes, but I enjoy adding extra spice to cheesecake. I feel like it balances well with the cool richness of the cream cheese. Also, be sure to check out all the other #SundaySupper Recipes!



Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

Prep Time 20 minutes
Bake Time 50 minutes
Inactive Prep Time 4 hours or overnight
Requires: A springform pan, and a 3" deep baking pan the springform can rest in

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
16 oz cream cheese
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp all spice
1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree

Steps
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the sides of the springform pan with aluminum foil, and wrap tightly.

In a small bowl, mix the crumbs, sugar and butter together. Pour into the springform pan, and flatten into a crust on the bottom of the pan. Set the pan aside.

In a large bowl, whip the cheese until it is fluffy. Whip in the brown sugar and spices into the cream cheese until well distributed. Add the vanilla, and each egg one at a time, waiting to add the next egg until the previous is well mixed into the batter. Once all the eggs are added, pour the puree into the bowl and stir until the batter is consistently mixed.

Pour the batter into the springform pan, and then place the springform pan into the large baking dish. Fill the baking dish with water until it comes halfway up the side of the springform. This will create a water bath for the cake, and helps it cook evenly. Carefully place the pan in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes at 350F, then turn the oven down to 325F and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the cake slightly jiggles when agitated.

When removing the cake from the oven, be very careful. Not only are you removing a cake from the oven, but you're also removing a large pan filled with 300F water. Take your time and be sure to use proper protection when handling. Once the cake is out of the oven, remove from the water bath and place on a cooling rack. Do not remove it from the springform. Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, place it in the refrigerator, and let it chill for 4 hours or overnight. Remove from the pan and serve!