Pumpkin Almond Cheesecake

Serves 14

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp. sugar
• 1 oz. cake flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tbsp. dark rum
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• Cooking spray
• 4 oz. almond paste
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup fat free cream cheese
• Dash of salt
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin
• 1/3 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Almond cake

1. Combine 6 tbsp sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/8 tsp salt, and 4 ounces almond paste in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Weigh or lightly spoon cake flour onto a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Stir flour and rum into sugar mixture.
3. Spread the batter evenly into a 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
4. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 300.

Cheesecake

1. Place softened cheeses , 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended.
2. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, beating at low speed.
3. Scrape seed from vanilla bean, and reserve bean for another use.
4. Add seeds, pumpkin, yogurt, and ginger to cream cheese mixture; beat at low speed until blended.
5. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over top of cooled almond cake. Bake at 300 for 1 hour.
6. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature.
7. Cover and chill from 8 hours or overnight.