Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

From EatingWell: November/December 1996, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

A spectacular, graceful ending for a holiday feast or any elegant fall or winter meal.

16 servings

Active Time: 1 1/2 hours

Total Time: 5 1/2 hours (including cooling & chilling times)

Nutrition Profile

Low calorie | Low cholesterol | Low sodium | Healthy weight | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, (about 20 cookies)
1 tablespoon canola oil

Filling

20 ounces low-fat cottage cheese, (2 1/2 cups)
12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (1 1/2 cups), softened
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 large egg
2 large egg whites, or 4 teaspoons dried egg whites, reconstituted according to package directions
8 ounces reduced-fat sour cream, (1 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup unseasoned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap the outside bottom of the pan with a double thickness of foil.
To prepare crust: Combine crumbs and oil in a bowl. Press into the bottom of the pan.
To prepare filling & bake cheesecake: Puree cottage cheese in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the workbowl once or twice. Add cream cheese, sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch; process until smooth. Add egg, egg whites, sour cream, vanilla and salt; blend well. Measure 3 1/2 cups of the batter into a separate bowl; stir in lemon juice. To the remaining filling, add pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch; blend well.
Pour about 1 cup of the vanilla filling into the center of the crust. Then pour about 1 cup of the pumpkin filling into the center of the vanilla filling. Alternate the remaining fillings in the same manner; concentric circles will form as they spread. To create a marbled effect, gently swirl a knife or skewer through the fillings.
Place the cheesecake in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1/2 inch up the side of the springform pan.
Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set but the center still jiggles, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven. Coat a knife with cooking spray and run it around the edge of the cake. Let stand in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour. Transfer from the water bath to a wire rack; remove foil. Let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. | Equipment: 9-inch springform pan

Nutrition

Per serving: 221 calories; 6 g fat (3 g sat, 2 g mono); 27 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 9 g protein; 1 g fiber; 220 mg sodium; 174 mg potassium.

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 other carbohydrate, 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat