By Halloween is today and the daycare party was Friday and everything is sugar and orange and good chaos. My chicken-breed toddler informed me gravely on Thursday that he was a Rhode Island Red, which is specific information I verified via quick internet search and which I believe he obtained from his father, who apparently keeps backyard chickens. I told him he was an excellent Rhode Island Red. He said I know.
I have been thinking about Gloria's index card box more than usual this month. I have been adding to my own recipe collection in a more organized way since I started cooking more seriously, and this week I went to the craft store and bought a wooden box and a pack of index cards and wrote out my first three recipes by hand: Savannah's fried chicken brine, my sweet potato pie with cardamom, and the Yule log cake that I have made three Decembers in a row now. The handwriting is mine. The recipes are mine. The box is mine.
Gloria saw me working on it at her kitchen table Sunday and did not say anything for a while. Then she said: you are starting your box. I said yes. She said: everything you know came from somewhere. Your box should show that. I am going to add attributions to each card: Gloria's base, modified. Debbie's method. Original. Self-taught. The food history of Savannah Clarke written in index card ink. That seems right.
Starting that index card box this week put me in the mood for a recipe that feels like it belongs in the autumn season — something I could see myself writing down and attributing properly, the way Gloria said I should. This no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is exactly that kind of recipe: creamy and spiced and simple enough to make on a Sunday, the kind of thing you’d want to hand down. It felt right for a Halloween weekend that was already full of orange and sugar and good chaos.
No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes (including chilling) | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 8 oz whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed, divided
Instructions
- Make the crust. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
- Beat the cream cheese. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add pumpkin and spices. Add the powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger to the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Fold in whipped topping. Gently fold in 2 1/2 cups of the whipped topping using a rubber spatula, taking care not to deflate it. Reserve the remaining whipped topping for serving.
- Fill and chill. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until set.
- Serve. When ready to serve, remove the springform ring. Slice and top each piece with a dollop of the reserved whipped topping and a light dusting of cinnamon if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 370 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 230mg