Pumpkin-chocolate cheesecake squares Recipe

Pumpkin-chocolate cheesecake squares

Watch the leaves change colour as you taste the Autumn flavours with these spiced cheesecake squares. - by Alison Pickel

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Watch the leaves change colour as you taste the Autumn flavours with these spiced cheesecake squares.

Ingredients

2 x 250 g packets plain sweet biscuits

2 cups caster sugar

130 g butter, melted

2 x 250 g packets cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

400 g pumpkin, cooked and mashed

½ tsp mixed spice

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

1 cup dark cooking chocolate, coarsely chopped

Topping

1¼ cups sour cream

¼ cup caster sugar

1 tsp ground nutmeg, to serve

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 30 x 20 x 5cm slice tin. Set aside.
To make crust, combine crushed biscuits and ¼ cup sugar in a medium bowl. Stir  in 80g butter. Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared tin; set aside.
Put cream cheese and remaining sugar in the large mixing bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth. Reduce speed and add eggs,  1 at a time, until just combined. Beat  in pumpkin, mixed spice, vanilla and salt  until just combined. Transfer 1¼ cups  of mixture to a medium bowl.
Put chocolate and remaining butter  in a small heavy saucepan and cook  over low heat until melted. Stir into  the pumpkin mixture. Pour over crust, spreading evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.
Carefully pour remaining pumpkin mixture over baked chocolate layer, spreading evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until filling is puffed and centre is set. Cool in tin on wire rack for 30 minutes.
To make topping, combine sour  cream and sugar in a small bowl. Gently spread mixture over cheesecake. Cool completely. Cover and chill for at least  3 hours. Cut into squares. Before serving, sprinkle top with nutmeg.