The great pumpkin - pumpkin/cheesecake - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, Nov, 2000 by Janet Charatan

... cheesecake, that is, only without the cheese

To say that some people have a fondness for cheesecake may be the ultimate culinary understatement. Delightfully dense, rich and velvety-smooth, this old-fashioned treat is one of the most decadent finales around. But typical recipes incorporate a pound (or two!) of cream cheese, eggs and often sour cream, so even the tiniest sliver can set off a tidal wave of guilt. Fortunately for you, we have ways to get around that.

For our fabulous healthy imposter, we replaced the eggs with tofu and used soy cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese. Blended together, the two create a surprisingly silky base. Canned pumpkin puree not only adds a delicious flavor, but it also keeps the filling light. With these smart substitutions, cheesecake becomes a low-fat extravaganza--not to mention a great choice for anyone who doesn't eat dairy products. These changes take nothing away from the sensory appeal of the original, and the preparation is a breeze.

To guarantee success, always have ingredients like soy cheese at room temperature (rather than cold from the refrigerator) so they will blend more smoothly into a homogenous mixture. And as with any baked good, it's important to thoroughly preheat the oven--allow at least 15 minutes--and to maintain the right temperature during baking. Temperatures in gas ovens can be off by as much as 50 degrees, so a good glass tube thermometer from a gourmet shop is a smart investment (the spring-operated dial type sold at supermarkets is less accurate).

Partially cooling the cheesecake in a turned-off oven helps prevent cracks in the top of the cake. Don't worry if they do appear, however; you can easily cover flaws with fresh fruit or berries, a swirl of nondairy frozen topping or even jam that you've mixed until smooth. For the best flavor and texture, refrigerate cheesecake overnight and serve it the next day at room temperature. You can keep this torte in the refrigerator for one week, but good luck keeping it around!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Torte

12 SERVINGS EGG- & DAIRY-FREE

Light yet luscious and not overly sweet, this cheesecake is sure to become an all-time holiday favorite.

VT recipe        201 calories   7 grams fat
Typical recipe   469 calories   38 grams fat

RECIPE REDUX

Crust

1 1/3 cups graham cracker
  crumbs (about 10 double
  crackers)
4 Tbs. soft canola margarine

1 lb. soft tofu, drained
15-oz. can solid-pack pumpkin
4 oz. soy cream cheese (1/2 cup),
  at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, plus
  additional for dusting
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 350 [degrees] F. Coat 8 1/2-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

2. Make crust: In food processor, pulse graham cracker crumbs and margarine until evenly moistened. Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Keep oven on for baking cheesecake.

3. In food processor, puree tofu until smooth. Add pumpkin and process until blended. Add soy cheese, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves and process until smooth and well combined. Pour mixture into cooled crust and bake on center rack 45 minutes.

4. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake cool in oven 1 hour without opening door. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate cheesecake at least 8 hours or overnight. (Don't worry if cheesecake seems a little soft; it will firm up during chilling.)

5. To serve, run a long, thin knife around inside edge of pan to loosen cake; remove sides of pan. Lightly dust top of cheesecake with cinnamon and serve at room temperature.

PER SERVING: 201 CAL.; 4G PROT; 7G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 31G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 100MG SOD.; 2G FIBER

JANET CHARATAN is recipe editor and STEPHANIE BROWNER is test kitchen director of Vegetarian Times.