Pineapple Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
12 ounces light cream cheese, softened
16-ounce can pumpkin
4 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 1/2-ounce can sliced pineapple in heavy syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a 9- by 13-inch pan of hot water on lower rack in oven.

Set aside 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar.

In food processor, combine remaining sugar with cream cheese. Process 20 seconds. Add pumpkin, eggs, flour, spice and vanilla extract. Process 10 seconds.

To bake: Pour into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 50 minutes without opening door. Turn oven off. Let cake stand in oven for one hour.

To cool: Remove cake from oven. Immediately run knife around sides of pan. Cool; refrigerate 3 hours. Drain pineapple; reserving syrup. Dice 1 pineapple slice. Cook reserved syrup, reserved sugar and diced pineapple over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until thick, without stirring. Just before serving, arrange pineapple on cake. Top with glaze. Serves eight.

Notes: Cracking is common in cheesecake. If food processor is not available, prepare in large bowl, as directed above, using a wooden spoon to mix ingredients. You can substitute the pumpkin pie spice with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice.

Nutrition facts per serving: 356 calories, 10 grams fat, 121 milligrams chol, 291 milligrams sodium. Percentage of calories from fat: 25 percent.

- recipe courtesy Steel Packaging Council

Copyright 1997, The Associated Press