Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Pumpkin Cheesecake!

 I don't know if I've mentioned this before...but I sincerely
love, Love, LOVE Fall!  
Really, I do...
Something about the winds of change,
leaves changing color and blowing about on a gusty day...

There's also all the fall fashionable clothing that
begins to make appearances...boots, pull over hoodies, 
gloves, scarves, beanies...

Another beautiful thing I indulge in:
Bon Fires!  
Around here, we like to have a bunch of friends come hang 
out in our back yard...chill out in the hammock 
and lawn chairs all to roast marshmallows
and make some S'mores!
Nothing feels more like home...friends & family just having a 
perfect night of food, laughter & gorgeous weather!
In my humble opinion, I like to char my mallows just 
a tad bit~takes me back to my 
grandma who used to 
always say that charred food is good for the heart!
I have no idea how true that might be, if at all, but hey...
it's a wonderful memory of my grandma...so don't
harsh my mellow...er, mallow in this case ;)

Then, there's all the flavors of Fall...
Pumpkin, Maple, Pecan...mmm hmmm
I'm drooling just thinking about
all kinds of deliciously flavored cakes, pies, 
cookies, muffins...
Oh and the aromas...........

*** La dee dee, dah ***

Okay, sorry about that, I got lost for a bit
but I'm back!

Unfortunately, the sad truth is that I live in a part of the country
where we don't see much of leaves turning all those wonderful
reds, browns and golden colors...
I do, however, break out my fall weather apparel as soon
as the first break in temperature
comes around...boots 
and all ;)
I take advantage of the cooler nights to be outside...
in my hammock...
listening to my iPod...
or reading...
(who am I kidding, I'll more likely be playing a farm game on my phone)
with a small, cozy blanket...

This cooler weather enables me to crank my oven on,
open up the windows and my
sliding doors as well.
 I'm not gonna lie, 
a part of me likes to do this just to remind my neighbors that 
Fall has arrived
as the cooler breeze carries warm scents of 
 Pumpkin Pies...
No, Pumpkin Cheesecake
into their homes and permeates everything 
around them!
To some, that might be considered mean and cruel, 
but hey, I call it sharing!
It's a friendly reminder that something Fantastical
(it's a word in MY vocabulary, don't be jelly ;)
 is coming out of my oven, 
so it's time for them to jump on it and do the same!

No?  Okay,
well how about I just share my favorite fall recipe with you...
well, one of them anyways, and maybe you can tease
your neighbors same as I do :)

Pumpkin Cheesecake!
I say Yea-uh!

Ingredients:

*1/3 cup Pecan Chips
*12 tbsp Unsalted Butter
*2 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
*2 3/4 cup Sugar
*1 1/4 tsp Salt
*2 lbs Cream Cheese (yes, pounds!)
*1/4 cup Sour Cream
*1 can Pumpkin Puree (15 oz~I use Libby's)
*6 eggs
*2 tsp Vanilla Extract--Pure
*1 1/2 tsp Maple Flavoring
*2 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
*1 tsp Ground Ginger
*1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
*2 cup Heavy Cream

Directions:

*** Using a small pan, (medium-high heat) toast pecan chips being careful NOT to burn them...
once you start, do not walk away as you'll need to stir them around.  When done, pour out
onto a paper towel lined plate & set aside to cool.





*** Set cream cheese on counter to come to room temperature,
and measure out the eggs into a bowl and beat with
a fork lightly, and set aside.

*** Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

***Melt butter and brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of it. Stir the
remaining butter with the crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1/4 tsp (pinch) salt and the toasted pecans
in a bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up
the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown,
15 to 20 minutes. (Use this crust baking time to get the filling prepared)

*** While the crust is baking, bring a medium pot of water to a boil.

*** Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the
remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar
and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl
and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs,
extracts, 1 teaspoon salt and the spices and beat until just combined.
Set aside this filling in the fridge until the crust has
finished baking.  

*** Once crust is done baking, remove from oven
and cool on a wire rack, about 15 minutes or so.
Wrap the outside of the springform pan
with foil and place the springform pan into a roasting pan
that is at least 2-3 inches deep. (Note:  It's best if the foil
that is used is wide enough to cover the bottom of the springform pan
so as to prevent the seams from absorbing some water 
that MIGHT work it's way into the foil wrapping,
which may give a slightly soggy crust.  I use the Heavy Duty Foil 
that comes packaged as 75 sq ft, which is
18 in wide~wide enough to cover my 10-in springform pan
with a few inches to spare!  I then make 2 layers, 
for added protection, because that's how I roll ;)

*** Remove filling from fridge and give it a quick stir then
pour into the cooled crust.

*** Gently place the roasting pan (with the filled springform pan inside it) into the
oven (don't pull the rack out) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, being careful
not to splash water into the cheesecake pan.  Keep pouring in the hot water
until it comes to about halfway up the side of the springform pan.

*** Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes.

*** Turn off the oven and open the door briefly to let out some heat. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack.

*** Run a knife around the edges then unlock and remove the springform ring.
 Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

*** Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
To finish, place a dollop of the whipped cream on each slice and sprinkle with some more
toasted pecans, if desired.

I can't take full credit for this recipe...I took it from the wonderful
people here and slightly adapted it to fit my
taste preferences!


There you have it!  Nothing says Fall like a creamy, delicious
Pumpkin Cheesecake!

In my opinion, if at all possible, do not skip toasting the pecans...
they add such a wonderful depth of flavor and a nice little
crunch~~unless of course, you're allergic to them...or just don't like them,
then definitely leave them out!

Hope you try this recipe out...let me know what you think ;)



 Thanks a million for indulging me by reading clips of my life!

Love ya,
Cori ;)