I have made the Nourishing Traditions (page 566) all raw cheesecake before and it is delicious. This is a variation on that recipe using kefir and pumpkin and Creme Fraiche. It is so good!

This will serve quite a few people (12-16) so it is good for a holiday party or for eating leftovers!

Ingredients

• 2 cups crispy pecans (I buy a version that is apple pie spiced that conform to the NT recipe at our local Austin Farmer’s Market) (how to make crispy nuts)
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 cup homemade kefir or yogurt cheese (how to make yogurt cheese – I used the same process with kefir)
• 1 cup Creme Fraiche or sour cream
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs separated, at room temperature
• 1 ¼ cups milk, preferably raw but you can also use low temp pasteurized (don’t use UHT milk)
• 2 Tbsp gelatin
• ½ cup raw honey
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• Pinch sea salt

Directions

In a food processor, process dates and crispy pecans until they form a sticky mass. Press into a buttered 9 X 13 inch pyrex pan to form a crust.

Put egg yolks and milk in a sauce pan, beat lightly, sprinkle with gelatin and warm slightly (not too hot or you will scald the raw milk!) until gelatin is dissolved. In a food processor, combine kefir cheese, crème fraiche, pumpkin puree, honey and vanilla and process until smooth. Add yolk mixture and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and place in the refrigerator while you continue with the recipe.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.

Fold egg whites into the kefir cheese pumpkin mixture and pour into crust. Chill several hours before serving (overnight is best).

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