Curried Butternut Squash Cheesecake

Submitted By: Downhome

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Difficulty: easy Prep Time: More than 15 Minutes Total Time: More than 1 hour

750g cream cheese, cubed
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp turmeric
3/4 cup squash puree (recipe below)
3 eggs
Squash Puree:
2 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Crust:
1 1/2 cups ginger snaps, crushed fine
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter/margarine, melted

For the puree: Preheat oven to 350F. Toss the squash, garam masala and oil together until the squash is evenly coated. Roast until squash is completely softened (20-30 minutes). Remove from heat and purÃ©e in a food processor/blender until very smooth. Cool.
Reduce the oven heat to 275F.
For the crust: Thoroughly combine crushed ginger snaps, cocoa and butter. Press mixture firmly into a 10" parchment-lined springform pan.
For the cheesecake: Using a food processor fitted with an "S" blade (or a mixer with a paddle attachment), cream the cheese until smooth. Note: if you're using a mixer and paddle, do this on very low speed, so as not to incorporate air bubbles. Add the sugar, cornstarch and turmeric. Mix well. Measure and add the squash puree, again mixing well. Add eggs one at a time, scraping and mixing after each addition. Pour mixture into the crust-lined pan and bake for 45-60 minutes. Cheesecake should feel like nearly set jelly and not have a liquid appearance when the pan is tapped. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
Yield: 12-16 servings