How do you feel about pumpkin cheesecake? November 19, 2009

My dad swears that pumpkin cheesecake is absolutely wrong and I should be ashamed of myself for making it.  I say that he’s missing out on something completely wonderful.  What’s your opinion?   One of my favorite people in the world asked me for this recipe yesterday, so I promised I would post it.  I was making a bourbon pumpkin cheesecake and this time of  year, I make so many of them it’s crazy!!  Even the clients I have with the most basic taste buds and no sense of adventure at all want this cheesecake.  That has to mean something, right?? 

We’ve gone over cheesecake basics in a previous post, and the fundamentals remain the same here.  Of course, you don’t have to add the bourbon if you don’t want to…but I won’t lie…it makes a huge difference.   You can also use regular graham cracker crumbs if you can’t find gingersnaps or if you don’t like them. 

Bourbon pumpkin cheesecake with brown sugar sour cream topping-

Crust:  2C gingersnap cookie crumbs,  1 stick melted butter,  1 tbsp. sugar -   melt the butter and mix with graham crumbs and sugar.  Press into 9 or 10 inch springform pan that has been sprayed.  Bake crust at 350 for about 8 minutes or until golden.

Filling:  3 – 8oz packages cream cheese, room temp (very important!),  1C sugar,  1C pumpkin, 3 large eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla extract,  3/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/8 tspl allspice (cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice are the same spices used in apple pie spice mix…if you want to use that, use 1 1/2 tsp),  2 tbsp. bourbon.

Sour cream topping:  2C sour cream,  4 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tbsp. bourbon

Blend cream cheese and sugar in mixer until smooth.  Add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and spices.  Process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl.  Add bourbon and mix until incorporated.  Transfer filling to crust.  In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and whisk until smooth, set aside.

Bake cheesecake in a waterbath* for 50 minutes at 350.  Remove from oven and spread sour cream topping evenly over cheesecake.  Return to the oven for another 10 minutes until set and remove.  Place on cooling rack until COMPLETELY cooled.  Chill uncovered until cold or nasty condensation will appear on the surface of your cheesecake.  After completely chilled, then you can cover it. 

*waterbath – the best and only, in my opinion, way to make a cheesecake.  Wrap the outsides of your springform pan in several layers of foil to ensure that water will not seep through.  In a large pan, place a small amount of hot water (1/4 inch) and then place your foil-wrapped pan inside the larger pan.  The water ensures that the cheesecake cooks evenly and slowly and prevents those nasty cracks from happening on the surface. 

When the cheesecake is done and you unmold it from your pan, it looks beautiful because you have the crust, which is a beautiful dark brown, the pumpkin filling has a nice orange color, and then the sour cream topping a beautiful off white and it looks absolutely stunning.  Feel free to garnish the top with a little fresh grated nutmeg or anything else you may feel like adding!

Tis’ the season for turkey! November 4, 2009

I can’t believe it’s already time for turkey.  I know many of you get saddled with Thanksgiving dinner at your house, and while it’s sure to be a lot of fun, it’s also a lot of work.  So, I’m here to take the terrifying out of your turkey!

Have you ever considered using turkey breast instead of a whole turkey?  You could even do several depending on how many people you need to feed.  The reason I’m asking is because the whole turkey breasts provide a much easier alternative to the usual bird.  They are smaller and more manageable, all white meat, and as I will show you, super easy to flavor up beautifully!

Ok, this is my favorite turkey recipe.  There, I said it.  I use turkey breast.  Is that bad?  I dont’ think so.  I do half the work other people do, and get twice the flavor and I have leftovers, which is what its all about!!

Here’s the easy recipe:

1/4C olive oil,  3 tbsp. chopped fresh flatleaf parsley,  1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves,  1/2 tsp. lemon zest,  1/4 tsp. salt,  1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper,  1 – 4 to 5 lb. turkey breast, thawed, 

Preheat oven to 350.    Whisk dressing ingredients together until well blended.   Rinse turkey breast and pat dry with a paper towl.  Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the breast meat.  Pour about 2 tbsp. dressing evenly over the meat and, using your hands, rub generously over the meat.  Massage it into the meat!!  Stretch the skin back over the meat.  Pin the skin around the sides of the breast using small wooden skewers or toothpicks (previously soaked in water), to prevent it from shrinking.   Rub the rest of the dressing over the skin and the entire breast.    Roast the turkey until the juices run clear, about 1 – 1 1.2 hours or 180 on a meat thermometer.  Let sit 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Now, if you’re like me, you pay no attention to recipes and simply use them as a guideline.  Feel free to add more lemon zest or any of the herbs if you’d like to up the flavor in a certain direction.  But, using the recipe exactly as stated will give you a perfectly seasoned and moist turkey breast!

I hope you enjoy and I hope I’ve taken at least a little of the stress off your holiday!