Baked Eggnog Pumpkin Cheesecake—Prototype 5:
 
The outcome of Prototype 1 of my chocolate eggnog cheesecake, plus other cheesecake refinements throughout 2013, would influence the latest eggnog pumpkin prototype presented here.
 
2-to-1 Blend of Yogurt Cheese and Cottage Cheese:
Prepare ahead of time 2 pounds of yogurt cheese, derived from two 32-ounce containers of nonfat yogurt. If the resulting yogurt cheese falls below 32 ounces, add back enough of the whey (that was strained out from the yogurt) to make up the difference. To this yogurt cheese combine 16 ounces (1 pint) of whipped, lowfat cottage cheese.

Crust:
2 oz. melted, white chocolate
8 oz. (1 cup) 2-to-1 blend of yogurt cheese and cottage cheese (see above)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. All-Bran, ground up

Pour this crust mixture into pan (9 to 9 1/2 inches) and pre-bake without tub at 300 degrees for 10 minutes, then cool enough to comfortably touch at least the pan's upper sidewall.

Eggnog Batter:
2 tablespoons melted or softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (20 oz.) 2-to-1 blend of yogurt cheese and cottage cheese (see above)
2 cups light eggnog
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/8 cup arrowroot
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs

Wrap the pan in foil, and pour the eggnog batter on top of the crust, no higher than halfway from the crust's surface to the top of the pan (if there is any excess batter, use it to make "cupcakes", baking these at 300 degrees for 50 minutes using a bath arrangement—or use this batter together with a good pancake mix to make pancakes). Then place this pan in a tub—filled only about halfway, or about half an inch, with boiling water. Bake all this at 325 degrees for about 60 minutes. Then take the whole pan-and-tub setup out of the oven, and carefully get it to a comfortable place. Promptly add the pumpkin batter as indicated below.

Pumpkin Batter:
2 tablespoons melted or softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (20 oz.) 2-to-1 blend of yogurt cheese and cottage cheese (see above)
7 oz. pumpkin butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot
2 eggs

Carefully scoop this on top of the eggnog batter and return the pan-and-tub setup to oven, this time at only 300 degrees, and add more hot water to the tub (at this point, go ahead and fill it all the way). Bake for about 120 more minutes.

Turn oven off, leaving cheesecake in it (still in tub as well), with the door slightly ajar, for another 60 minutes.

Remove cheesecake from oven and tub and let cool in its pan at room temperature for another 120 minutes.

Afterwards, remove cheesecake from pan and refrigerate.

Eggnog Pumpkin Cheesecake—Prototype 5

The top ended up being very dry and cracked. Note for next time—cut the pumpkin batter's baking time!

But this cheesecake went very fast. About 90% of it seemed to be gone in roughly 10 minutes, the rest about half an hour later. It was served among a modest selection of sweets and other snacks at Living Hope.
 

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