My Favourite Thanksgiving Recipe – Courtesy of Darcie Hiebert
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Squares
Crust
1 cup All-purpose flour
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup cool unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Pumpkin Cheesecake
1/2 pkg brick cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
1 egg, room temp
1 egg yolk
Cheesecake Swirl
¼ pkg brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ tbsp. white sugar
1 egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 inch square pan and line it with parchment so that the paper comes up the sides of the pan.
- For the crust, using food processor, pulse the flour and brown sugar together, then cut in the butter until evenly blended (the mixture will be dry and crumbly). Press this into the prepared pan and bake it for about 18 minutes, until it turns just a little brown at the edges. Cool while making the filling.
- Beat the cream cheese to soften and then beat in the sugar. Add the pumpkin and stir until smooth. Switch to a whisk and add in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk and set aside.
- For the cheesecake swirl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and then beat in the sugar. Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin cheesecake onto the cooled crust. Either spoon or pipe the cheesecake swirl on top and use a bamboo skewer to creat pretty swirls. Bake for about 30 minutes until, like a cheesecake, the filling is set at the edges but still has a little jiggle at the centre. Cool the squares to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours before slicing.
- The squares will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.
