Father’s Day is the perfect moment to blend the cosy flavours of autumn with the first festive hints of Christmas.
In this cheesecake, smooth pumpkin meets the warm spice of Vanajan Gingerbread Heart Biscuits, creating a dessert that’s both classic and wonderfully seasonal.
You can make your own pumpkin purée or use a ready-made one. Both work beautifully in this recipe.
Ingredients
- BASE
- 150 g Vanajan Gingerbread Heart Biscuits
- 75 g butter, melted
- FILLING
- 400 g cream cheese (e.g. Philadelphia)
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract)
- 3 eggs
- about 2½ dl pumpkin purée (roughly 1 kg pumpkin if making your own)
- 40 g sour cream
- ½ lemon (zest and a few drops of juice)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp ginger
Instructions
- IF YOU’RE MAKING PUMPKIN PURÉE YOURSELF
- Peel and cube the pumpkin, removing seeds and fibres.
- Boil until tender, drain well and blend into a smooth purée.
- Set aside about 2½ dl of purée for the cheesecake filling.
- BASE
- Crush the Vanajan Gingerbread Biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor or by sealing them in a bag and rolling with a rolling pin.
- Mix in the melted butter.
- Line the bottom of a 20 cm springform pan with baking paper and press the mixture firmly into the base.
- Place in the fridge for 1–2 hours to set before adding the filling.
- FILLING
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time, gently mixing after each addition. Avoid over-mixing to keep the texture silky.
- Pour the filling over the base and smooth the top.
- BAKING AND FINISHING
- Bake at 175 °C for about 50 minutes, until the edges are set but the centre still slightly wobbles.
- If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover it with baking paper.
- Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours – preferably overnight – before slicing.
- Serve chilled with lightly whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
