No-bake cheesecakes are my go-to desserts these days. Really quick and incredibly easy to make, yet oh so delicious. This one is no exception. The deliciousness of a pumpkin pie packed mixed with rich Mascarpone, and gently tucked in into a lovely no-bake cookie shell.
You can make it year-round, but it is a great dessert for Halloween. Especially if you use some additional food colouring, to make the colours more vibrant. Add some dark chocolate glaze, and you get that recognisable Halloween colour pattern. Let it chill for a few hours in the fridge to set up, then slice it up, and enjoy!
Ingredients
For the cheesecake base
250 grams Graham cracker crumbs
120 grams butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla
For the pumpkin pie filling
250 grams Mascarpone cheese, softened
100 grams icing sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
200 grams pumpkin puree
3 teaspoons unflavoured gelatine
100 ml double cream
food colouring (optional)
For the topping
100 ml double cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation
To make the cheesecake base, melt the butter and let it cool down slightly, then add it to the Graham cracker crumbs, along with vanilla. Keep mixing until all the cookie crumbs are moistened and the batter can be easily moulded. Take a 23 cm (9”) cake tin with a removable bottom and lightly grease the bottom, then press in the cheesecake base. Level the base as much as possible, then place it in the refrigerator.
To make the filling, place the Mascarpone cheese in a large bowl, add in the icing sugar and all of the spices, and blend it with an electric mixer on high, until smooth. Pour four tablespoons of cold water over the gelatine and let it bloom. Add the pumpkin puree to the Mascarpone blend and mix it well into the batter.
Melt the bloomed gelatine over low heat, mix it with a few teaspoons of the pumpkin mixture, then pour everything back into the batter, and mix it well. Whip the double cream in a separate bowl, until soft peaks form, then very gently fold it in the cheese batter. Pour the filling over the cheesecake base, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
When the cheesecake has cooled and ready to be served, whip the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla, then spread (or pipe) it on the cheesecake. Remove it from the cake tin and serve. Yields 12 servings.
