Beautiful pumpkin cheesecake.

I've eaten more cheese today than I have probably consumed in all of the last 8 months. I'm a little farty (sorry, TMI) but on balance, I don't really feel bad. Interesting...
I made pumpkin cheesecake. I don't really like pumpkin pie and I wanted something a little swankier than pumpkin bread.

Making cheesecake in the middle east is incredibly easy because of this tasty stuff called Labneh, which is essentially a strained salted yogurt. The Labneh I used is called Pinar and is from Turkey, but you can Google it and make it yourself from whole milk. I have tried other brands, but Pinar seems to be closest in taste to cream cheese but is incredibly light and creamy.

Press a mixture of 1 part crushed digestive biscuits or graham crackers, 1 part butter and generous sprinkling of sugar into the bottom of a springform or ring pan. Adjust quantity to have enough to put about 1/2" layer of crumbs in the pan.
Blend one 8oz can of cooked, pureed pumpkin, 8oz Labneh, about 1/2 cup sugar and three eggs in the blender. If it needs more sweetness, add about 1/4 cup maple syrup. Add whatever spices you like, I used ground ginger.

Pour the cheese/ pumpkin mixture over the crust, and place your pan into another, larger roasting pan. Fill the outside roasting pan with boiling water to around 2" below the top. Place the two pans in a 350 degree oven for around 45 minutes, check with a toothpick. Cake will not be completely cooked through but will continue to cook as it cools.

The texture of the cake is lovely and light with little air bubbles throughout, almost like a mousse. I think the same recipe made with raspberry, rather than pumpkin would be exquisite. Serve topped with caramel sauce or fresh berries.