Kabocha Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake

Growing up, pumpkin pie always made an appearance at Thanksgiving, but I was never a fan. The only way I'd eat it was with enough whipped cream to bury the slice. But here's the thing: I love custard pies, pumpkins, and even the autumn fragrance of pumpkin pie spice. I think the issue for me has been that it's never quite creamy enough. That changed with this kabocha basque cheesecake.

It takes all the things I love about basque burnt cheesecake, like that almost-burnt top redolent of caramel and vanilla and the velvety soft center, and makes it even better with the vibrant orange color of kabocha pumpkin and the warm spices of pumpkin pie. It's definitely becoming part of my Thanksgiving tradition, but it's so good I'll probably make it again while winter squash is still in season.

The best part? I put this together from start to finish about 30 minutes before my Thanksgiving bird went into the oven. I didn't have any pre-blended pumpkin spice on hand, so I improvised with a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, but a commercial blend works just as well. If you want to see a more detailed step-by step technique for this, check out my burnt basque cheesecake post and video.