Thermomix - Spiced Pumpkin Baked Cheesecake

As a kid we spent a few years in Alice Springs, which has a sizeable American enclave.  I enjoyed pumpkin pies, spiced pumpkin cakes and other sweet pumpkin dishes as well as our traditional Aussie savoury pumpkin dishes.  I didn't realise until I was older that its quite uncommon to use pumpkin in desserts in Australia.  If you've never tried pumpkin desserts, do give it a try!

Spiced Pumpkin Baked Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 packet sweet biscuits such as milk arrowroot, marie.  I like to use half milk arrowroot and half gingernuts.

100g butter

2 x 250g blocks cream cheese

1/2 cup (80g) white sugar

1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree*

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract or the seeds of half a vanilla bean, scraped

3 tablespoons plain flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

Pinch teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2. Melt butter in the Thermomix at 90 degrees on speed 1 for 3 minutes, then pour out and set aside.

3.  Place biscuits in the bowl of the Thermomix and pulse with lid closed position on turbo a few times until you get a fine crumb.  Pour in the melted butter and pulse again to combine.  Press into a pie dish, covering the bottom and sides and set aside while you make the filling.

4. You can make the filling without rinsing or cleaning the bowl.  Insert butterfly, then add cream cheese and sugar to the bowl.  Beat on speed 4 until combined.

5. Add pumpkin puree and continue to beat on speed 4, then add eggs one at a time.  Add remaining ingredients (vanilla, flour, ground spices and salt) while still beating.  30 seconds after you've added the last ingredient stop the thermomix, and pour filling into prepared base.

6. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes at 180 degrees.  When ready the outer should be firm but there should still be a little wobble in the middle of the cheesecake.   Allow to cool a little then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until required.  I like to serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.

* I often throw a whole pumpkin in the oven when roasting other meals, scoop out the flesh when its tender and puree then freeze in 1 cup portions for this recipe, soups, smoothies, pumpkin pie and cakes.  You could roast (or steam) pumpkin prior to making this recipe, just let it cool before adding to the mixture.  You can use tinned pumpkin puree which can sometimes be found in lolly stores that sell American sweets, or online sellers though postage is hideously expensive.