I admit that this wasn’t the first time I’ve made this Pumpkin Cheesecake.  The first time was about eight years ago and I remember two things vividly:  1) I went to the store to buy a springform pan and picked up the last one just as another guy was about to pick it up.  He wasn’t happy.  2) I left out the flour entirely.  It was good anyway.  If you like pumpkin cheesecake but don’t let yourself eat it because it’s too fattening, fret no more.

This is a lighter version to try.  I have to confess – I HATE fat-free cream cheese.  It feels like rubber, has an aftertaste, and seems like fake food.  But when it’s mixed together with either reduced-fat cream cheese or regular cream cheese, it blends in enough that you don’t really notice that it’s in there.  This recipe calls for both fat-free and 1/3 less-fat cream cheeses and when they are mixed together with the pumpkin, you’d never know the difference.  The crust is nothing more than butter and crushed reduced-fat vanilla wafers (if you want your home to smell good, throw vanilla wafers in the oven for an AMAZING aroma!)  My sister borrowed this recipe from me a long time ago and we both still talk about it.  It’s THAT good!

The ingredients:

Mix together crushed vanilla wafers and melted better and pat into a springform pan.  Bake at 400 degrees and cool.

Cream together the cream cheeses until well blended.

Add in sugars, flour, salt, spices, and vanilla.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, then the pumpkin.

Pour into the springform pan over cooled crust and bake at 325 degrees.

Allow to cool and top with whipped cream, if you so desire.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine