Pumpkin Cheesecake

Thanks to Paula Deen for this amazing pumpkin cheesecake recipe.  It's easy, it's delicious, and it makes a lot of cheesecake!  I use my own version of a graham crust, but Paula's filling recipe can't be beat. 

Sometimes cheesecakes are a bit difficult to make: they crack in the oven, they sink when they cool, the cake isn't the right consistency . . . .  In fact, I've taken a few years to master some of the trickier cheesecake recipes out there.  This one is different.  It's perfect every time.  And one of the best things about it?  It makes *just* a little too much cheesecake for the pan.  So, I pour the extra into a ramekin (sans crust), bake it for about 30 minutes, then let it cool in the fridge with the larger cheesecake.  It makes a great midnight snack.

I've yet to use a Smashing Pumpkins song for a pumpkin-based recipe, and they're getting the shaft again here, I'm afraid.  I'll use one of their songs eventually, but in the meantime, here's the Chills' "Sweet Times."

Graham Crust Ingredients:
--2 c. cinnamon graham crackers
--1/2 stick butter, chopped
--1/4 c. dark brown sugar

In a food processor, pulse all ingredients until combined and sticking.  Spread into a spring-form pan and bake for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees F, just to set.  Remove and allow to cool.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
*Courtesy of Paula Deen with just a few changes--thanks, Paula!
--3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature 
--1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree (I use canned, but if you have freshly roasted pumpkin, you could go that extra step)
--3 large eggs, + 1 egg yolk
--1/4 c. sour cream
--1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
--1 tsp. ground cinnamon
--1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
--2 tbsp. flour
--1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.  Pour into the crust and bake for 55 min to an hour, or just until the filling has set (if you wiggle the pan, it will look solid).  Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.  (Like I said previously, this make just a bit too much filling, but I've already told you what to do with the extra above.)  

 
Oh!  I also top mine with some homemade whipped cream.  See my rum whipped cream recipe here.  Enjoy! 

Gingerbread with Citrus & Spice Creme Anglaise

This recipe makes the best gingerbread I've ever had, and my friends and family all agree.  I made it for the first time last Christmas, and I decided to bring it back for this year's Thanksgiving feast.  I think the secret is in the stout.  (Hint hint: this gingerbread calls for a cup of dark beer.)

It's gingery, spicy, and sweet.  And with the citrus creme anglaise, I can't imagine a better dessert for the holiday season.  

As I sat around the kitchen table in western Pennsylvania eating the leftovers with my family, the first snowflakes of the season began to fall.  To inaugurate this season, with its blustery, cold weather, and its sweet and spicy treats, here's Woody Guthrie's "Snow Deer." 

Gingerbread Ingredients (Creme Anglaise recipe to follow):
*Adapted from Emeril's gingerbread recipe . . . thanks, Emeril!
 --1 stick butter
--1 c. turbinado sugar
--3 eggs
--2 c. flour
--1 tbsp. ground ginger
--1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
--2 tsp. ground cinnamon
--1 tsp. ground cloves
--1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
--pinch of salt
--1 c. molasses
--1 c. dark beer (I used Charlottesville's Starr Hill Boxcar Pumpkin Porter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and eggs.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.  In another separate bowl, whisk together the beer and molasses until the molasses has dissolved.  Add flour mixture and beer/molasses mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating on low until all ingredients are combined.

Pour into a buttered 13 x 9" cake pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  Set aside to cool.  Now make the creme anglaise.

Citrus & Spice Creme Anglaise ingredients:
--2 c. heavy whipping cream
--zest from two oranges
--1 tsp. ground cloves
--1/2 tsp. ground ginger
--4 egg yolks
--1/3 c. granulated sugar

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the whipping cream, orange zest, and spices.  Heat over medium until the mixture begins to simmer, and then turn to low, continuing to simmer.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed until pale yellow.  Slowly add the mixture to the simmering cream, whisking constantly.  Continue to simmer for approximately 6-8 minutes, or until the cream is thick. 

By the time the creme anglaise has thickened, your gingerbread should be cool.  Spread the creme anglaise across the top of the gingerbread (like an icing) and cover with a piece of plastic.  Allow the creme anglaise to set, and serve! 

And here's a photo of my grandmother and mother sampling!  (Thanks for being my tasters!)

Cinnamon Almonds

In need of some road snacks for a long Thanksgiving drive?  These cinnamon almonds are perfect!  Sweetened, sugary, cinnamon-coated almonds have long been a favorite of mine for road trips, and as it turns out, they're pretty easy to make in very large batches. 

I've tested out a couple of different recipes for these now, and I like this one the best.  And in addition to the cinnamon, I've added some pumpkin pie spice to help ring in the holiday season.  Maybe we'll even get some snow!

Songs about sugar, cinnamon, and spice (and, well, everything nice) are plenty.  But even with a lot to choose from, here's one of my favorites: the Stone Roses' "Sally Cinnamon."  (It makes a good song for a road trip mix-tape, too.) 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Ingredients:
--3 c. whole almonds, unsalted and unroasted
--3 egg whites (generally, 1 egg white per cup of almonds)
--1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
--1 tbsp. cinnamon
--1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until medium peaks form.  Fold in almonds, coating fully in the egg whites.  In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.  Fold almonds (now coated in egg whites) into the cinnamon sugar mixture until covered. 

On a parchment-lined baking sheet (I use a larger jelly roll pan), spread almonds evenly into one layer.  During baking, flip the almonds just once to ensure even baking and to avoid burning.  Bake for approx. 25-30 minutes, or until sugar mixture has crisped onto the almonds.  Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

What to do with all of these almonds?  You can pile these into a car-ready container, or you can scoop them into small canning jars and tie them with a ribbon for a cute holiday gift.  Or, of course, you can eat them directly off the parchment paper by the handful.  Your call. 

Mexican Wedding Cakes

I just got back from Texas, and the tastes of San Antonio are inspirational for both dinners and desserts.  This "snowball" cookie is straight out of "Flavors," a 1970s San Antonio Junior League cookbook that I excavated from an antique store near the Alamo.  I love finding vintage cookbooks from places I visit.  Best souvenirs?  Just maybe. 

My favorite line from "Flavors" is its opening description of the distinctly San Antonio taste, yet multifaceted collection, of the cookbook: "The only thread of similarity you will find making all these dishes typically San Antonio is the inevitable dash of picante or Mexican spice."  If you've never been, El Mercado is delightfully saturated in color and spice.  In fact, I picked up a bottle of Mexican-imported vanilla from one of the shops.  It's hard at work in this recipe.

These cookies are easy and delicious.  And with the ample amounts of cinnamon and cloves, the Mexican spice of "Flavors" comes through.  Since most of my driving around Texas included repeat listens to Sir Douglas Quintet's 1983 "Border Wave," it only seems right to pair these cookies with a song from this Chrysalis album.  Here's "Sheila Tequila," from this original San Antonio band.  

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.  

Ingredients:
--2 sticks butter
--1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
--2 c. flour
--1/2 c. chopped pecans
--2 tsp. vanilla (I used Mexican-imported vanilla, but any pure vanilla will do)
--1/4 c. confectioner's sugar (for dusting)
--2 tsp. cinnamon
--2 tsp. cloves

Cream butter and 1/2 c. confectioner's sugar.  Add flour, pecans, and vanilla.  Shape into small balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes. 

While the cookies are baking, sift 1/4 c. confectioner's sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.  When warm, roll cookies in confectioner's sugar mixture.  Once cool, roll again.

Caramel Apple Pie

 
Baseball season just ended, and a wintertime filled with the kitschy joys of American commercialism will soon be here!  What better way to celebrate than with some baseball and apple pie?  And let me tell you: I've been making this pie for quite awhile now, and I think it's my best one.  (And take a look at the cool vintage fabric, doubling as a tablecloth, underneath the pie.  1960s baseball heaven!)

It's so delicious served warm.  And it's delicious cold, too.  But let me give you some advice: eat it when it's still hot, just out of the oven.  And when you go in for the leftovers, I strongly recommend re-heating and adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream (almost everything, I've come to realize, is better a la mode). 

Now that the World Series has come and gone (leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates behind for another year), I can't think of a better song than Whiskeytown's "Empty Baseball Park."  Thanks, Ryan Adams.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pie Crust:
*By now, I think you know the drill.  For pies that require a crust on both the bottom and top, you've gotta double the recipe.  Here's the recipe already doubled.  Once you have the two crusts, rest one in the bottom of your pie dish and set the other aside until you've filled the pie and are ready to bake. 

Apple Filling:
--6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thinly
--1/4 c. flour
--1/4 c. dark brown sugar
--2 tsp. cinnamon
--1 tsp. vanilla
--pinch of salt
--4 tbsp. butter, chopped
--1 egg (set aside for an egg wash)
--1 tbsp. turbinado sugar (for dusting)

In a large bowl,  combine all ingredients until apples are fully coated.  Line the bottom of the pie crust with the butter pieces, spaced relatively evenly.  Pour in the apples.  Set aside until you've finished the caramel sauce (below).

Caramel Sea Salt sauce:
(*Adapted from Ina Garten's caramel recipe.  Thanks, Ina!)
--1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
--1/3 c. water
--1 1/4 c. heavy cream
--1 tsp. sea salt

Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan and heat over low until the sugar has completely dissolved.  Increase heat to medium-high and allow to boil until the mixture turns a golden brown in color (approx. 5-7 minutes).  Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, and monitor it very carefully to avoid burning.  Slowly add the cream and stand back a bit so you don't get splashed.  Simmer just until the cream has dissolved and the caramel is smooth (approx. 2-3 minutes).  While it's still warm, pour evenly over the contents of the apples.

Add the top pie crust and crimp edges (trim the edges if need be, and save the extra dough--you can always roll it out and bake it with butter, cinnamon, and sugar for an extra treat later).  Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush the egg wash over the top of the pie, avoiding the crust edge.  Sprinkle turbinado sugar and generously on top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until top is crisp and golden.  Remove from oven and allow to cool just a bit before cutting into this completely delicious dessert. 

Pear & Almond Pie Pillows

I've been terribly late in my blog postings lately.  And now Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  My apologies.  Let me make it up to you with a delicious cookie recipe and a great song.

A love a good "pillow" cookie, and almost any dessert is better with almonds.  These cookies feature a pie crust exterior, an almond paste and pear filling, and a sprinkling of turbinado sugar for a sweet crunch.  I have to admit: these cookies were a bit time consuming to create, but the end result was delicious.  We even ate a few of them warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream: cookies a la mode.

Pillow cookies typically feature a sugar-cookie dough, filled with an almond or chocolate filling.  I really think the flaky, buttery pie crust makes these ones extra special.  (And, you could fill them with almost any pie filling!  Mini pies, mini cookies . . . .)  In fall, grocery markets begin stocking Bartlett pears, and they're perfect for this pastry treat. 

For a song, here's Joanna Newsom's fun and quirky "Peach Plum Pear."

And now for the dessert.  First, you've gotta make a pie crust, and here's my trusty recipe (doubled):

--2 1/2 c. flour

--1 c. butter, cold

--1/2 c. ice water

--pinch of salt

Pour flour into a large bowl.  Then, cut in the butter, either by hand or by placing ingredients in a food processor.  Next, pour in ice water and mix together.  Continue kneading until all dry flour has been absorbed.  Finally, form the dough into two balls, and rolls each into a large circle.  Using a 3" biscuit cutter, cut circles out of the pie crust (just like you would cut-out cookies).  Continue rolling dough and cutting circles until all the dough has been used.  Stack your dough circles and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

The Filling, etc:

--4 Bartlett pears, peeled, sliced, and cut into rough 1" pieces

--1 6 oz can almond paste

--1 tbsp. granulated sugar

--2 tsp. all-purpose flour

--2 tbsp. unsalted butter

--2 whole eggs, + 1 egg white

--2 tbsp. turbinado sugar (for dusting)

In a small food processor, pulse the almond paste (it may be quite hard coming out of the can--don't worry: it'll soften with the other ingredients), sugar, flour, and butter.  Once that has pulsed, add one egg and one egg white (the second egg is for an egg wash over the pie crusts).  

On a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet, spread pie crust circles approximately one inch apart.  Spread a thin layer of the almond paste filling onto each, and then top with a few pieces of pear.  Place another pie crust circle on top, gently pressing the edges down to seal.  Next, taking a fork, press the tines all along the edges, fully sealing these cookies/mini pies.  

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg.  Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg wash over each "pillow."  Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top, cut a small slit in the top of each, and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until edges are golden.  Repeat with remaining pie crust circles and filling ingredients.  

Serve hot out of the oven with ice cream, or after they've cooled.  They'll also store well for a few days in an airtight container.