Pumpkin Cheesecake

One week! We are exactly one week away from Thanksgiving. Are you ready? I’m not! Luckily, my mom is taking care of the big stuff (turkey, stuffing, etc.), so that makes it all a little less stressful. I’m in charge of the sweet potatoes, corn soufflé, and desserts. The desserts are still the big question mark though. My brother and I plan on making the desserts on Wednesday. We will make at least two (in an ideal world, we would aim for 3, but I am trying to be more sensible). It has pretty much been decided that there will be a pumpkin dessert---which one is the question. We could go with a traditional pumpkin pie, but I’m torn between this Pumpkin Cheesecake and my pumpkin flan. I LOVE this pumpkin cheesecake, so I have a feeling I may try and get the family on board with this one.

Unlike cheesecakes I have posted about in the past, this recipe has a little bit of flour in it to prevent it from cracking which means it does not require a water bath. The downside of this recipe for someone trying to bake several desserts is that it does take up your oven for almost 3 hours (45 minutes for cooking and then you turn the oven off and leave it in there for an additional 2 hours). BUT you can make this cheesecake 2 days in advance, so that should get it out of the way before the Thanksgiving cooking madness begins.

I’ll let you know which pumpkin dessert I decide on.

For my next debate: regular pecan pie or chocolate pecan pie??

Here is what you will need:

If you can find this box of Graham Crumbs in the baking aisle, it will save you lots of time:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Assemble a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter until moistened.

Step 2:  press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 3: 3.Make the filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth; mix in flour (do not overmix).

Step 4: Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla, and salt; mix just until smooth.

Step 5: Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next. (Note: Never crack an egg directly into the mixer, so you don't accidentally drop any pieces of the shell into the batter. I crack each egg in a bowl and then I incorporate it.)

Step 6: Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in oven 2 hours more (without opening).

Recipe Courtesy: Martha Stewart

ENJOY!

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST

1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs (from 10 whole crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING

4 packages (8 ounces each) bar cream cheese, very soft
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons pumpkin-pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Assemble a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up.

2.Make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter until moistened; press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

3.Make the filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth; mix in flour (do not overmix). Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla, and salt; mix just until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.

4.Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in oven 2 hours more (without opening).

5.Remove from oven; cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold before serving.

Sweet Potato Crunch

(Apologies for overly bright photo, I didn't have my 'good' camera with me)

This is one of those recipes. And what do I mean by “one of those recipes”? This is one of those dishes that if you bring it to a potluck, it pretty much guarantees you will have at least four different people track you down the next day because they MUST have that recipe. To be honest, I almost didn't post this recipe because I was kicking myself for not taking better pictures of the final product (I was in such a rush for said potluck and only had my point and shoot), but then by noon on Monday morning, I had already received three emails from friends requesting the recipe. So I decided it would be unfair to hold out on my "followers" especially because this is a perfect Thanksgiving side dish, along with my corn souffle (another household Thanksgiving favorite).

*Note: I usually make this the night before right up until the last step and then stick it in the oven right before serving.

Enjoy!

Here is what you will need:

Step 1: Peel potatoes. I slice them, so they will cook faster.

Step 2: Boil Potatoes (most likely 18 minutes)

Step 3: To save the time--while the potatoes boil, mix the topping (flour, sugar, and pecans). I wait to add the melted butter until I am ready to place it on top of the potato mixture.

Step 4: Drain the potatoes and mash with mixer.

Step 5:  Then mix potatoes with white sugar, margarine, coconut, evaporated milk, and vanilla.

Step 6: Pour into buttered dish.

Step 7: Finish making the topping by mixing with the melted butter.

Step 8: Pour topping over potato mixture. If you are making this ahead of time, you can stop here, cover, and refrigerate until the next day. Otherwise, bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

ENJOY!

Recipe Courtesy: My Tia Maribel

INGREDIENTS

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (I use 3 large potatoes which makes a little bit more than 3 cups, but I   think this works better to balance out the sugar and coconut)
1 cup white sugar (I don't fill it up quite to the rim, since this can feel like a lot of sugar. You can always taste and add more)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 stick melted margarine
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sweetened coconut

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, cut, and boil potatoes (around 18 minutes or until fork easily pierces potatoes). Mash the potatoes. Then mix potatoes with white sugar, margarine, coconut, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Pour into buttered Pyrex. Pour topping over mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

To make topping.
Mix white flour, 1/2 stick melted butter, brown sugar, and pecans.



Apple-Butternut Squash Soup

It’s me here---your delinquent blogger. My profound apologies, but this fall has been crazy hectic. It is not that I haven’t been cooking---I have been cooking A LOT and hosting dinners, supper clubs, etc., but I am so pressed for time that documenting each step of the cooking process is just not happening. But lucky for all of you, I absolutely hate cold weather and plan to go into hibernation fairly soon which means lots of staying indoors and lots of time to cook.


So as you will soon learn, I am on a soup kick. It all started a couple of weeks ago when we ate dinner at a friend’s house and had the most fabulous soup. It was a casual dinner with friends, but for some reason, starting off the meal with a nice homemade bowl of soup just kind of kicked the “gourmetness” of the dinner party up a few notches. I loved it so much, in fact, that it finally motivated me to buy an immersion hand blender, so I could also start making creamy soups. I have been trying to avoid the temptation of buying more kitchen gadgets (opening my kitchen cabinets has become hazardous at this point), but the hand blender is well worth it. If you have any creative uses for it other than soups, please feel free to share. ;-)

I was inspired to make this recipe because this past weekend, while visiting my parents in Memphis (see I told you I was busy), my husband ordered Apple-Butternut Squash soup at a restaurant. It was fantastic, and as luck would have it, Martha Stewart has a similar recipe. This soup was delicious, and the spices add a little kick to it. I think the next time I make it though I might use 3 apples instead of 4. I like to have a greater squash to apple ratio, but maybe that’s just me. I also love this soup because it looks so fancy and would make a great first course at a dinner party especially because it can be made a couple of days ahead of time.
Enjoy!



Here is what you will need:

Step 1:  Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes.

Step 2: Chop the Butternut Squash (I did this the night before to minimize prep time). Add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Peel and dice the apples.

Step 4: Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, stock, and the water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.

Step 5: Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, and return to saucepan. Heat over low, thinning with more water if necessary.



This is what happens when I give my husband the camera.

Step 6: To serve, ladle into shallow bowls; garnish with diced apples, jalapeno slices, and sour cream if desired. 

Recipe Courtesy: Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Serves 6

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped
4 red or golden apples, peeled, cored, and chopped, plus 1 apple, finely diced and tossed in lemon juice, for garnish (optional)
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 1/2 cups water, plus more if needed
1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
Sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1.Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

2.Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, stock, and the water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.

3.Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, and return to saucepan. Heat over low, thinning with more water if necessary. To serve, ladle into shallow bowls; garnish with diced apples, jalapeno slices, and sour cream if desired.

Helpful Hint from Martha Stewart

The soup can be made ahead of time and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to a month; let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Reheat gently before serving (thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator).

Pumpkin Flan

Two pumpkin posts in a row? Overkill? Probably—my husband isn’t complaining though, and my house smells absolutely edible. Flan purists will turn their nose at this gringo version of flan, but I gave a piece to our Salvadorian neighbor, a self proclaimed flan aficionado, and he LOVED it. So clearly, it must be good.

Like pumpkin bread, this is one of those recipes that I really only make October through December. Obviously, there is nothing actually preventing me from making pumpkin recipes mid-July, but would the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte be as exciting if it was readily available all year round? Probably not, so I like to keep these things special. And actually, I have come to love this flan so much, I think it might make its first appearance at Thanksgiving this year since I have appointed myself head of desserts (I should probably let my family know that at some point). Don’t get me wrong, I love plain old pumpkin pie, but sometimes, it is fun to add a little variety to the typical Thanksgiving dessert spread. Last year, I brought pumpkin cheesecake, and that was a huge hit.

In terms of preparation, this can be made a day ahead (or possibly 2 if you really don’t have time the day before). Flan seems like one of those dishes that would be really difficult to make, but besides needing to move rather quickly when pouring the caramel into the souffle dish (see Step 2) there is nothing very technical about this recipe. So with that said, get baking and enjoy!

And next week, I will post something with meat…and vegetables. I think I need more balance in my life, but I suppose pumpkin could count as a vegetable too?

Here is what you will need:

 I almost forgot to include the most important ingredient!



Secret Ingredient

Step 1: Heat a 2-quart souffle dish or round ceramic casserole in middle of oven. Cook 1 cup sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden, about 5 minutes.

Step 2: Quickly and carefully remove hot dish from oven and immediately pour caramel into dish, tilting it to cover bottom and sides. (Leave oven on.) Keep tilting as caramel cools and thickens enough to stay in place.

Step 3: Scald whole milk with evaporated milk in a saucepan and remove from heat. (Basically heat it until it is just at a boil.)

Step 4: Beat eggs and remaining cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Step 5: Beat in salt, pumpkin, tequila, and spices.

Step 6: Pour milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl and beat into pumpkin mixture in a slow stream until combined well.

Step 7: Pour custard over caramel in dish and set in a water bath of 1 inch hot water. Put pan in middle of oven and lower temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours, possibly longer.

Step 8: Remove dish from water bath and transfer to a rack to cool. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 6 hours.

Step 9: To unmold flan, rest souffle dish in about 2 inches of warm water for 30 seconds. This helps warm the caramel. Then take a thin knife around flan to loosen the flan from the sides of dish. Wiggle dish from side to side and, when flan moves freely in dish, invert a large serving platter with a lip over dish. Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter. Caramel will pour out over and around it.

Source: Epicurious.com

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 cup whole milk
2 (5-oz) cans evaporated milk (1 1/3 cups)
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
15-oz can solid-pack pumpkin (1 3/4 cups)
2 tablespoons premium golden agave tequila such as Herradura Reposado, or bourbon
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a large pot of water to boil (this hot water will be used for the water bath)

Heat a 2-quart souffle dish or round ceramic casserole in middle of oven.

Cook 1 cup sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Quickly and carefully remove hot dish from oven and immediately pour caramel into dish, tilting it to cover bottom and sides. (Leave oven on.) Keep tilting as caramel cools and thickens enough to stay in place.

Scald whole milk with evaporated milk in a saucepan and remove from heat. Beat eggs and remaining cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in salt, pumpkin, tequila, and spices. Pour milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl and beat into pumpkin mixture in a slow stream until combined well.

Pour custard over caramel in dish and set in a water bath of 1 inch hot water. Put pan in middle of oven and lower temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours, possibly longer. Remove dish from water bath and transfer to a rack to cool. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 6 hours.

To unmold flan, rest soufflé dish in about 2 inches of warm water for 30 seconds. This helps warm the caramel. Then take a thin knife around flan to loosen the flan from the sides of dish. Wiggle dish from side to side and, when flan moves freely in dish, invert a large serving platter with a lip over dish. Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter. Caramel will pour out over and around it.