"Pumpkin Pie"

I know we aren't even close to the holiday season yet, but I have to share this recipe I tried this week. Matt's mom had us over for lunch and made an amazing gluten free meal of tomato/mozzarella salad, a potato/leek au gratin, and cornbread made without flour. And then for dessert she made this:

It is called a "high protein torte" according to the recipe, but don't let that fool you - it tastes JUST LIKE pumpkin pie (and has the exact same consistency) with a cream cheese frosting. It was DELICIOUS.

I will most definitely be making this for Thanksgiving this year.

The secret ingredient? Garbanzo beans. I know, it sounds weird, but you would never know they are in there - it is just to give it the perfect consistency (and provide protein!).

Here is the recipe...

1 19-oz can of garbanzo beans, rinsed

4 eggs

1 15-oz can of pumpkin

1 cup splenda or sugar (we used sugar)

2 T maple syrup

1/2 t baking powder

2 t pumpkin pie spice

6 oz whipped cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

(optional - 11-oz can of mandarin oranges drained and 1/4 cup of walnut halves for decoration)

Preheat oven to 350. In a food processor or blender combine beans and eggs until smooth. Add pumpkin, sugar, syrup, baking powder, and spice and blend until smooth. Fill a round cake pan (that's been sprayed) with batter and bake until a knife comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool completely before removing from pan. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar and spread over cake and decorate with oranges and walnuts.