I love cheesecake…..any kind….and this is a really nice one to present to company. Sit down, pour a coffee and read through. Gather all the ingredients needed and go for it.
Crust
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
pinch of cinnamon (secret ingredient)
Filling
1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp. whipping cream
1 tsp. really good vanilla
1 tbsp. whiskey
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
pinch of salt
3 x 8 0z. pkgs. Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
Topping
2 cups sour cream
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. whiskey
Garnish
Toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
Invert the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan (create a flat bottom, making it easier to remove cake later). Then lock on the side and butter the pan.
Put the rack in the middle position of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, vanilla and whiskey, until well combined.
Stir together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt in a large bowl. Add the cream cheese with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth (about 3-4 minutes). Reduce speed to medium and add pumpkin mixture and beat until completely smooth.
Pour filling into the crust, smoothing the top with an off-center spatula. I always wrap the pan in tin foil (to catch any leaks, if there are any). Put a bowl of water in the bottom rack, and place the pan on the middle rack and bake for about 55-60 minutes.Transfer to a rack to cool for 5 minutes.
Leave the oven on….Whisk together the sour cream, brown sugar and whiskey until smooth and spread over the cake, sprinkle the top with the toasted pecans and bake for 5 minutes. Remove and cool for 3 hours. Chill, covered until cold.
When ready to serve, simply remove from the pan and take to the table to show the cake to your company then return to the kitchen to cut and serve.
Beyond yummy and damn you did it!
Other Ways To Use Squash And Squash Parts
Now that is an intriguing title, isn’t it? Besides, roasting squash and using only as a vegetable, or making it into a soup, here are a few tips that you might like to try. I know, we have and it is a beautiful thing.
We really like the butternut squash, acorn squash and, of course, pumpkin. Spaghetti squash is also a great way to cut the caloric intake, if that is what you are doing.
1. Roast butternut squash and puree it with a splash of orange juice and a little fresh grated ginger.
2. If using acorn squash, bake until tender. Remove the ‘meat’ and fill with some diced apples that you have sauteed in butter, and then add a splash of dark rum (only a smidgen). Puree the squash meat, that has been seasoned with salt and pepper and a dollop of butter. When fluffy, place over the top. This will make your company sit up and take notice, oh Chefette.
3. Try this….take chunks of roasted pumpkin and season with walnut oil, brown sugar and ground ginger. When well mixed, toss with some dried cranberries.
4. Best one yet….steep the seeds from a fresh pumpkin in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towelling. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, bake in a 300 degree oven until toasty (about 23-25 minutes). Sprinkle with fine sea salt. Now, THAT is a treat that costs practically nothing and you can enjoy for hours.
Now, pour a coffee, sit back and say, well done, damn I can do this. Besides, the kids WILL eat their vegetables when you think outside the box, just sayin’.
Harvest Bread Pudding With Ginger Sauce
Family gatherings, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas, allows one to dream….dream about the smells that permeate your home (and really half the neighborhood), the table setting, company coming, menu, laughter, pure joy of seeing one another again, etc. This is a dessert that uses pumpkin but in a different way. One that really is enjoyable and memorable.
- 4 1/2 cups white bread (stale or oven dried out), cubed
- 4 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. rum
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg – freshly grated
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 tbsp. cold butter, cut up
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. ( To oven dry the bread, place the cubes on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, if it is fresh bread).
Place the cubes in the cooking dish and whisk all the remaining ingredients except the butter, until smooth. Pour over the bread and let sit for about 10 minutes until the bread is completely soaked pushing down gently, if necessary. Now dab the butter over the top and bake for about 45-50 minutes unil set in the middle but not dried out.
Ginger Creme Anglaise
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
In a suacepan over medium heat, bring the milk, cream, ginger and vanilla just to a slight boil, stirring often. ( While this is heating up, whisk the yolks and sugar until smooth.) Remove the pan from the heat immediately.
Slowly pour about 1/4 – 1/3 of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture whisking constantly. Now add this back to the remaining cream mixture in the saucepan and while still whisking, stir until it coats the back of a spoon.
Pour into a bowl and when plating the pudding into your prettiest dessert bowl, ladle a generous amount of the sauce over the top.
OMG this is good.
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
I just made this loaf and while the beautiful aroma wafts into my office, I am going to share it with you.
This makes 3 loaves (1 to eat now, 2 to freeze for later)
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 (15 oz) can PURE pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 1 cup Crisco Oil
- 2/3 cup water
- 4 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups flour, sifted
- 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup pecans (or Skor chips)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 loaf pans (9 x 5 inch).
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, and water. Beat until smooth.
Add flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Fold in the chips and pecans.
Bake for one hour and cool a few minutes. Ice and then sprinkle on toasted and crushed pecans.
This is SCRUMPTIOUS to say the least.
Pumpkin Pie
This will make two pies: if you only need one, freeze the second or invite a friend for coffee.
- 4 eggs
- 1-796 ml can of pure pumpkin (E.D.Smith is the best)
- 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. grated candied ginger (usually one piece is more than enough)
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
- 2 from scratch pie crusts
Beat eggs slightly. Add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt and mix until well blended and smooth.
Blend in the milk and divide filling into pie shells. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and lower heat temperature to 350 degrees for about another 40-45 minutes until a knife inserted in the centre of the pies comes out clean.
Cool. Serve with some cinnamon flavoured whipped cream. The heart you see is a tradition that got started one year only because I forgot to put it on. Later on that.
Keep it tasty, I always say!
Taste Rating: 9.9