Cambridge Cooks: Pumpkin Cheesecake Cambridge Cooks: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Photos: Debra Pearlman

With Holiday Season coming up and being a Weight Watcher, I'm always looking for dessert recipes. This one comes from Hungry Girl. I made it the other day as a test run. I'd double the pumpkin and use a bit less sweetener, but that's my personal taste. Otherwise, this is a great alternative to Thanksgiving's Pumpkin Pie. Another suggestion is to use Fat Free Cool Whip instead of the sour cream topping.

Vanilla Crème Pumpkin Cheesecake

WHAT YOU NEED:

For Crust:

2 cups Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor
1/4 cup light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Smart Balance Light or Brummel & Brown), melted & mixed with 2 tbsp. water
3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1 tsp. cinnamon

For Filling
32 oz. fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 cup light brown sugar (not packed)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

For Topping
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

WHAT YOU NEED:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all crust ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Spray a springform pie pan (about 9" wide) lightly with nonstick spray -- make sure to get the sides as well as the bottom. Then evenly distribute crumb mixture, using your hands or a flat utensil to firmly press and form the crust along the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Using an electric mixer set to medium speed, mix until completely blended and lump-free. Pour mixture into the pan.

Bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, until set. Allow pie to chill in the fridge for at least 3 - 4 hours (overnight is best).

Once pie has chilled, carefully release and remove springform top. In a small bowl, mix all topping ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Spread topping evenly over the pie. Return pie to the fridge until ready to serve. Cut pie into 12 slices.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 160
Fat: 3.25g
Sodium: 579mg
Carbs: 20g
Fiber: 5g
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 15g
POINTS® value 3*