Pumpkin Pie Swirl Cheesecake
Thanksgiving is a week away for Canadians, so I have been in the kitchen working on a lovely dessert to bring to dinner at my SIL’s place. Pumpkin anything is always a hit with our combined families.
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake recipe from Kraft Foods, adapted by me to split one cheesecake batch into three smaller tort batches so I could play with crusts and toppings. I made two graham crust and a chocolate cookie crust versions. Two are marbled, one is not.
I use a 7″ tort pan and bake each one for 30 minutes at 325 degrees, rest it for another 30 minutes on top of a bowl to release the side of the pan, and then chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
Baking desserts in thin tort pans is especially helpful if you’re looking for a way to make a thin version of a thick, dense sweet cake, or just bake a smaller version of the same tasty traditional cheesecake you love. I find breaking up full size cake or pie recipes into torts size versions is also an economical way of stretching my materials and patience over several holiday meals we attend at multiple home every year.
I don’t have hours to mess around in the kitchen baking everything in one shot like I used to, so when I’m pressed for time I can easy prep enough for all three torts and either bin the portions I don’t use then, or bake all three and freeze the extras.
This recipe is perfect for time challenged people! And the hostess will still think you spent gobs of time baking just for her dinner. Shh. I won’t tell her if you don’t. 😉
Many women will love the manageable size and portion control, but there might be people (mostly the men from my brotherly experience) who will complain about the small, wafer thin size of your tort, so be prepared to tell them you were taking your cues from the sophisticated European bakers who understand desserts aren’t the main attraction, the company you share them with is!
Toppings: Coarsely chopped pecans, fresh whipped cream that’s been sweetened with a hint of flavour, or both. Baker’s choice, really.
“Portion control”??? WTH is that?!
Ok, let me talk you through this in smaller words… *snort*
Portion control is where you look at the pie and imagine yourself diving in, and then you tell the nice hostess you would like 1/32 of the amount she would normally serve you.
Basically, portion control is about starving yourself. There! I said it! Phew, I feel so much better now.