What do you get when cheesecake and pumpkin pie cross paths? The best of both worlds… Pumpkin Cheesecake! And since October 21st is National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day, it’s the perfect time to indulge. During the autumn months, festive pumpkin-flavored treats are everywhere. You can find all sorts of goodies like pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin soup, pumpkin beer, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, but pumpkin spice lovers can all agree that there is nothing quite like a (today’s reason to celebrate) pumpkin cheesecake!
Pumpkin cheesecake is traditionally made with a graham cracker crust and a pumpkin purée cheesecake filling. Some people like to go rogue and do a layer of pumpkin and a layer of cheesecake, but most blend the two, topping it off with fresh whipped cream and maybe a little cinnamon sugar (yum)!
Originally referred to as “pumpions”, after the French “pompon” (a nod to its rounded shape), pumpkins were one of the first foods Europeans brought back from the New World. Ever the pie-making culture, the English naturally brought recipes for pumpkin pie along with them on the Mayflower. Lo and behold, pumpkins were grown in abundance in Plymouth Colony, eventually becoming one of the hallmark foods which sustained the Pilgrims during the long first winter. When the harvest festival was observed, pumpkin pie was likely a popular dish used to celebrate the New Englanders’ survival, and continues to grace our Thanksgiving feasts to this day.
To this day, cultures around the globe enjoy their own version of cheesecake, with varying consistencies and toppings, each of course claiming that theirs is the best (none as vehemently as New York’s classic though!) And while it’s unclear as to the origin of the combination of pumpkin and cheesecake, it’s not surprising that some foodie genius decided to enjoin these 2 fares, acknowledging that if delicious eaten separately, imagine how scrumptious their union would taste.
Predating the invention of pumpkin pie, forms of cheesecake have been recorded since as early as the Greeks in 2000 BC! Lauded on the Greek island of Samos as a good source of energy (you have our full permission to bear this in mind next time you cut a slice!), there is evidence that it was served to athletes during the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C, as well as at weddings.
So, what are you waiting for! Go out and get yourself a slice! Or if you’re so inclined, make one at home with one of these Pumpkin Cheesecake recipes from the Food Network!
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