grain-free pumpkin cheesecake

You had me at "pumpkin."  That's all you have to say.  I love pumpkin.  I love cheesecake.  So, I made a pumpkin cheesecake using my grain-free pie crust.  

I went ahead and made the crust ahead of time.  It's super easy and only takes a few minutes!

So, all I need are my cheesecake ingredients.  I try to use as little as ingredients as possible.  Less is more... 

Cream the maple sugar and cream cheese.  Maple sugar is my new fav.  It adds a great flavor and is a healthy sugar substitute.  I found mine at Trader Joes.  {PS- Set the cream cheese out for about 10 minutes helps it not to be so lumpy.}

Mascarpone cheese.  This is the best stuff on earth!  Usually, my secret ingredient for many desserts.

Confession:  I could stop right here and call it a day.  In another life, this would be called fruit dip.  I have since changed my ways... haha.

Add eggs and hit the switch!

Now pumpkin... it's possible a tear just fell...

What is pumpkin, without pumpkin pie spice?  I mean, really.  These guys are tied at the hip.  I like to add a little extra cinnamon too... just for kicks!

Oh my goodness.

Lovely.

We are lovely... when we are poured out.  A life that is freely given, is beautiful.  We were made to be shared.  I wonder, do I hoard instead of being poured?

"Have You not poured me out like milk and curdled me like cheese?" Job 10:10  As I cook, I am reminded of this.  Yes!  I feel like that!  I'm mixing cheesecake, and feeling a bit mixed up as well.  Life doesn't make sense, I have been fighting, and I'm tired.  Why am I going through this?  The process to becoming lovely on the inside is HARD.  God works these things in us... all the mixing and solidifying... if we allow Him.  Yes, I allowed it at first, but it is more difficult to keep allowing it, and allowing it, and allowing it... after many levels of pain, cleansing pain.  Job asks, "Why was I even born?  You could have saved me the pain and taken me in my mothers womb!"  Yes, recipe reader... yes, myself, if you struggle... you were not born to only feel pain.  Pain reveals our heart, pain surfaces deeper pain.  Pain points to the problem.  We must visit this pain, deal with it, and move into healing for our maturity...

"And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.  Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us." Romans 5:4-6  As we solidify and mature, even feel the heat turned up in our lives, remember this:  At all stages of life, He has poured His love out into us, so we can pour it into others! {This is our joy in the midst of pain!}  And with joy, I poured this lovely cheesecake... now, into the oven!

I feel the picture doesn't do it justice... alas, it was late a night and I snagged the last piece during a gathering in my home!  Let me tell you, though, it was every bit amazing!  

As you take a bite of your slice, remember, He has poured Himself out for you.  Every {lasting} drop is His offering to us.  He is our salvation, and daily saves us from ourselves.  It is sweet.  As one very familiar with "hoarding", I would encourage you... be open to the process, and allow the pouring to begin in your life!

Grain-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 (9 0z) mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup of maple sugar, (if not, brown sugar will do)

2 eggs

1 very full table spoon of pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 3/4 cups of pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and maple sugar. Beat until smooth. Blend in mascarpone cheese, and then eggs.
3. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping and carmel sauce before serving.

For the grain-free crust:

2 cups of pecans

2 cups of walnuts

1/4 cup of grapeseed oil (or 1/2 stick of organic butter)

a pinch of nutmeg

Directions

1. Place nuts, oil (or butter, softened), and nutmeg in a food processor.  Pulse to a coarse grind, about 15-20 seconds total.
2. Empty into a spring form.  Using parchment paper, press firmly into the pan.  
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.