As many know, I like to
bake up treats for the holidays and give them out to show my appreciation. Appreciation of those who have made my life
easier through their dedication to their business and customer service. I still find it kind of, well, for lack of a
better word, strange that I am still hearing, “Mary, you’re the only one who
does this for us every year.” I find it
strange that I keep hearing, “Be kind” all year long, yet at a time when
kindness and appreciation are paramount, it gets lost around Black Friday until
the New Year. Hey, don’t get me wrong,
I’m sure kindness is in existence at this time of the year; probably just
missing it while I’m in the kitchen baking.
By the way, just as I
thought I was finished baking, dang it, wouldn’t you know I missed someone in
my rushing around. So here is my baking
quote for the holiday season, “I am finished baking for the holidays, said no
one ever!”, and yes, you can quote me if it’s applicable to yourself.
This is the year of
pumpkin cheesecake; being a huge fan of pumpkin and cheesecake, is it no wonder
they needed to meet and marry? The
recipe I will share with you has been in my personal recipe book since January
2011. However, this year I decided to
try out different cookie crusts than plain graham crackers; and add toppings
like sour cream or chocolate. While Roy
and I enjoyed this taste adventure, I can definitely say I witnessed the
absolute ingestion of these treats by the staff of the San Juan Record. Unfortunately for editor, Ryan Collins, we
were so engrossed in conversation that I do not think he even got to taste any;
or maybe a crumb or two could have survived for his tasting pleasure. Personally seeing the staff’s smiles, hearing
the “mmm”s and “yum”s gave me a very good feeling deep inside. You’re all awesome people, thanks for a great
year!
By the way, the recipe
bakes up one-9 inch cake, but can easily be used to fill up four to six - 4 inch
mini spring form pans. Just remember to
make sure you seal the pan bottoms with aluminum foil, they will leak! Speaking from experience here, as one new pan
I purchased stated, “Guaranteed not to leak”.
Maybe in their test kitchen, but my oven was a whole other ballgame;
thank goodness for self-cleaning ovens!
Just another example of my
favorite quote by Helen Keller, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” So to everyone, everywhere, Happy Holidays,
Happy New Year and enjoy the adventure that is life!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1 and ½ cups graham
cracker crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
3 (8 oz.) packages
softened cream cheese
1 cup pure pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs, beaten
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare the 9 inch spring form pan by spray with
non-stick baking spray; line bottom with parchment paper and spray paper with
non-stick baking spray as well. Place
pan on aluminum foil and bring up halfway along sides, pressing to seal against
pan.
In a small bowl, combine
graham cracker crumbs with butter; mix together using a fork or pastry cutter
until crumbly mixture forms. Spread
mixture evenly on bottom of pan and 1/3 way up the sides; place in oven for 5
minutes, remove and set aside.
In a large bowl, on medium
speed, cream together cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, spice
mix and eggs until well blended and smooth.
Pour mixture in pan, bake for one hour.
Turn off heat, open oven door slightly and let cake rest in oven for 30
minutes. Remove cake, cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate overnight; use a warmed knife around sides of cake before
releasing spring form pan. Slide cake
onto plate, removing parchment paper as it moves.
Makes 10-12 servings.
Options: Use
shortbread, chocolate shortbread, honey or cinnamon graham crackers instead of regular
graham crackers.
Toppings:
Sour cream:
2 cups sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract. In small bowl, combine all ingredients until
smooth. At 55 minutes of baking, spread
over cake, sprinkle pumpkin pie spice over topping, bake for 5 minute before
turning off oven and go into resting stage.
Chocolate Candy Shell: After cake
has rested, melt 1 cup of Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers, spread
over cake, and continue with overnight resting.
Chocolate Ganache: 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 cup
chopped chocolate (milk or semi-sweet is traditional; bittersweet is my
personal choice). In a small saucepan,
medium heat, heat the cream until bubbles just begin to form around the rim of
the pan. Add the chocolate and stir until partially melted; remove from heat
and continue to stir until smooth.
Spread over cake and continue with overnight resting; the ganache will
thicken as it cools.
Mary Cokenour
Origination date: January
14, 2011
Updated version: December
2, 2018
