Not-So-Decadent Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

I adapted recipes for this pie, coming up with a version to suit my love for cheesecake and my husband's ambivalence toward it ("I am not eating anything with cheese and cake in the same title!") Guess what - he did and he liked it too! This pie is 'not so decadent' because it's made with no-fat cream cheese, and a mixture of evaporated milk and water rather than whole milk. I made my own pumpkin mixture by scraping and baking a pumpkin - which was an experience all its own - so that cut out the extras that you get in packaged pumpkin. It allowed me to use MY amount of sugar and spices, and definitely allowed me to control the amount of fat in the pie. I like that, too and boy is this ever tasty!.

Not-So-Decadent Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients

• 1 graham wafer crust
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 - 2 tsp ground ginger
• 8 ounces no or low fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 large eggs (you may substitute Egg Beaters if you want less calories)
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk and water mixed half and half
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-ounces can) or *you can make your own*

Preparation

1. Make graham wafer crumb crust according to package directions, or use purchased crust.
2. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Using a blender, mix sugar and ginger until smooth. Add eggs, milk, flour, nutmeg, and salt and blend until just combined.
4. Reserve 2/3 cup cream cheese mixture in a glass measuring cup. Whisk together remaining 1 1/3 cups cream cheese mixture and pumpkin in a large bowl until combined.
5. Pour pumpkin mixture into graham wafer crumb crust. Stir reserved cream cheese mixture (in glass measure) and drizzle decoratively over top of pumpkin mixture, then, if desired, swirl with back of a spoon.
6. Put pie on a baking sheet and bake until center is just set, 35 to 45 minutes. Test for dullness poking knife into center of pie, baking until it comes out clean. 
7. Transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. IF DESIRED, lightly drizzle with caramel and chocolate topping to create a swirl then chill, loosely covered with foil or disposable plastic lid from commercial pie crust, at least 4 hours. If chilled overnight the caramel and chocolate will slightly soak into the pie, giving it more flavor. If necessary, very gently blot any moisture from surface with paper towels before drizzling with toppings.

* To make your own pumpkin mash, wash and dry pumpkin and cut in half, removing stem and cleaning out seeds and strings. Scrape well. Cut pumpkin into squares. Place shell-side-down in baking dish with a bit of water and bake at 350 degrees F until pumpkin is soft (about half an hour). Let cool slightly before scraping the flesh from the shell. Mash and use as canned pumpkin.