Faux Pumpkin Cheesecake

I don't know what it is about pumpkin.  Do we naturally crave this orange veggie because of some vitamin our bodies are lacking with the absence of the sun's warm rays?  Not sure, but, once again, I find myself making an assortment of pumpkin dishes from gnocchi to soup and beyond.  While this pie is never meant to replace a true, made by grandma pumpkin pie, it's for those of us who want to cut back on sugar and calories once in a while.

Don't let the word "tofu" scare you away.  You'll hardly notice and your belly will thank you.

Faux Pumpkin Cheesecake

1/4 cup oat bran

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 pkg firm tofu

1 cup egg whites

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup almond (or regular) flour

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

pinch of allspice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  For the "crust" I sprayed an 8 x 8 glass pan with butter spray, then sprinkled the oat bran evenly over that.

Mix all the remaining ingredients in your food processor until well blended.  Pour cheesecake mixture into a glass pan.  It will be rather thick, so smooth to the edges.  Set the cake pan into a larger pan and pour hot water to within 2 inches of the top of the cake pan.  Bake for about 45 minutes.  Cool and refrigerate a few hours before serving.   Yummy!  Even better the next day.