Ori's Dessert Bar

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Desserts made with vegetables may sound suspicious but this lovely sweet pumpkin cheesecake will make you think twice!
Halloween celebrates the best of the orange vegetable and as a chef I naturally found hours of entertainment in experimenting with it…the outcome? A Pumpkin cheesecake with quite a twist!

Not only is it’s shape and portion size unique, I serve it on a sprinkling of crystallised pumpkinseeds, cocoa grau and chocolate popping candy crumble which creates a complementary crunch. I also apply a shiny pumpkin glaze which gives it a note of pumpkin sweetness.

Please try it! It’s easy to make, tastes just delicious, and can be eaten at any time of year!

Here is the recipe.

Pumpkin cheesecake
360g whipping cream
180g milk
200g sugar
1 vanilla pod scraped,seeded
600g creme cheese – preferably full fat philadelphia
240g fresh pumpkin puree
5×3.2g leaves of bronze gelatine

Method:
Soak gelatine leaves in ice cold water and leave to bloom.
Heat the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds. Place the cream cheese and pumpkin puree in a large bowl.
When the cream mix is hot take off the stove and add the gelatine leaves then whisk. Strain on top of the cream cheese mix.
Leave for 5 minutes to melt the cream cheese. Using a hand blender blitz the mix and strain through a fine sieve.
Pour into half sphere shaped silicon moulds and place in the freezer to freeze completely – takes approximately 6 hours.
Remove cheesecakes from mould,glaze and leave half an hour before serving at room temperture.

Pumpkin glaze
150g pumpkin puree
150ml water
30g sugar
7g pectin

Method:
Bring the pumpkin puree and water to the boil. In a small bowl mix the pectin and sugar well. Once the puree and water has boiled add the pectin mix gradually while whisking. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve. Leave to cool in fridge.

Enjoy!
Image by Ori