Indulge in pumpkin cheesecake squares
One of my favourite things about Halloween — other than seeing what amazing costumes the neighbourhood kids have come up with — is that it celebrates all things sweet.
The downside, however, is all that lacklustre candy that hangs around!
That’s why I prefer to make a better kind of treat, starting with these pumpkin-swirled cheesecake squares.
They squash the competition, if I do say so myself, thanks to an Oreo cookie crust and a cream cheese and cinnamon-spiced pumpkin purée filling. (Talk about autumn in a nutshell.)
Although it looks fancy, the swirl is easy to execute, especially if you watch my video demonstrating the simple three-step process.
And this recipe freezes so well, you can celebrate Halloween anytime you want!
Pumpkin-Swirled Cheesecake Squares
Ricardo Tested Crust 11/4 cups (160 g) Oreo cookie crumbs 1/4 cup (55 g) unsalted butter, melted Filling 2 blocks (250 g each) cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup (105 g) lightly packed brown sugar 1/4 cup (60 mL) sour cream 2 eggs 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened homemade or store-bought pumpkin purée 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Crust With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
Butter and line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over two sides. In a bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and butter.
Press lightly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F (165 C). Filling In a food processor, combine the cream cheese and brown sugar. Add the sour cream and eggs. Purée until just smooth.
With a spatula, scrape the bottom and sides several times. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the pumpkin purée with the cinnamon and 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the cream cheese mixture. Set aside. Spread the plain cream-cheese mixture over the crust.
Pour the pumpkin cream-cheese mixture onto the cheese filling in 4 parallel lines.
Run the tip of a knife through the pumpkin mixture in opposite directions, 6 to 8 times, to form a marbled effect. Prepare a hot water bath: Place the pan in a baking dish and pour boiling water into the dish to reach one-third up the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the centre of the cheesecake is set but still soft.
Remove the pan from the hot water bath.
Let cool for 1 hour. Freeze at this stage, if desired.
Otherwise, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Run the blade of knife between the pan and the cheesecake. Carefully remove the cake using the parchment paper.
Place on a work surface and cut into 12 squares.
This recipe freezes well. Try more of Ricardo’s recipes by visiting ricardocuisine.com.