Upjohn Pumpkin Torte
Looking for a wonderful holiday dessert?

Back in the 80s when I started working for The Upjohn Company, the cafeteria had a chef who made wonderful things from scratch. The Upjohn Pumpkin Torte is one of those wonderful things. It's a rich, heavenly dessert. Takes a little effort to make but it's not difficult and well worth the effort.

I'm posting this well advance of the holidays so you'll have a good excuse to make it twice. After all, you do have to make it once to try it out before the big dinner. Right?

This recipe was created to be sinful. Don't try to change it into something healthy. For the intended results you need real butter, real sugar, real cream cheese (not lowfat), real eggs, and whole milk.

This is the original recipe with my changes, suggestions and notes in parens.

1 pkg graham crackers - about 10 (I use 1-1/4 cup packaged crumbs.)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (Use the real stuff.)

• Mix together.
  
• Press into a 9 x 13 pan.

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (pre-softened to room temperature)

• Mix together and pour on crust. (I use electric mixer to get it smooth.)
  
• Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

2 cups pumpkin (I use 15 oz can pumpkin. NOT pumpkin pie mix.)
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
dash salt

• Cook to a boil.
  
• (I microwave it two minutes at a time, wisking after each two minutes.)
  
• (It's hard to tell when "boil" happens in the microwave. Mixture will be noticably thicker.)

1 envelope plain gelatin
1/4 cup cold water

• Stir in gelatin and water while (pumpkin) mixture is still hot.
  
• Cool.

3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

• Beat egg whites with sugar until stiff.
  
• Fold into pumpkin mixture.
  
• Spread on cheese layer.

8 oz. whipping cream

• Top with whipped cream or Dream Whip.
  
• Chill.

(I use real whipping cream whipped with a couple of tablespoons sugar and a teaspoon vanilla.)

No nutritional information. If you have to know, you shouldn't be eating this.