Everyday Baking, Cooking, and Crafts: October 2015

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Autumn is my favorite season of all, and not only because it is the beautiful cool breezes, the refreshing fall rains, or the changing, vibrant colors of the leaves, but its because the holiday seasons soon approach. With those seasons come the smells of autumn cooking; those aromatic spices that draw our minds to this time of the year. Spices like: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, sage, rosemary, and thyme...can you smell them, now?

The autumn season also has my memories flooded with my mom, grandmothers, and great grandmothers in their kitchens concocting lavish desserts and amazing holiday meals. I am instantly transported back in time to when I'm standing, with anticipation, beside the dining table -- my mouth watering as I wait for the delicious food to be served.

Yesterday, I could not wait for Thanksgiving to arrive so I dashed out to the store for the ingredients for my pumpkin cheesecake. Usually, the cost for these ingredients are pricey, but with the Thanksgiving holiday approaching the stores are offering bargains on Thanksgiving meal ingredients. I was able to secure a great deal on cream cheese, 3 for $1. Ye-haw! I doubled up on those. The rest of the ingredients were on special, but not nearly as cheap.

Here is my recipe. Let me warn you...this cheesecake is amazing and will become one of your favorites, too! Baking this is not for the casual or quick-fix persons. When you make this cheesecake you will have to give yourself ALOT OF TIME! It is very labor intensive and time consuming. As well as, it will take an additional 12 to 24 hours before you can even have a slice. This is the very reason why cheesecake, when purchased while dining out, is so pricey; time consuming and labor intensive.

So, without further delay...

Pumpkin Cheesecake:

Ingredients for Crust:

2 bricks cinnamon flavored graham crackers (these are the rectangles of packaged graham crackers in the box. use two of them, about 16 in total)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
*Optional if they are not holding together and very crumbly in the pan...add about 2 tablespoons of corn syrup or honey)

Ingredients for the Pumpkin Cheesecake:

4, 8 ounces packages of cream cheese, room temperature
4 whole eggs (discard the shells)
1/4 cup granulated table sugar
1, 14 oz. can Nestles La Lechera (sweetened condensed milk) Here is a great savings here: Nestle's La Lechera sweetened condensed milk is nearly 75 cents to $1 cheaper than Eagle Brand or Carnation brand (Carnation is also made by the Nestle company) And the La Lechera product is absolutely top-notch quality.
1 can pure pumpkin (Libby's,15 oz., pure pumpkin)
1, 8 oz. container real sour cream (Do NOT use low fat or fat free!)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie spice (This is an all-in-one product that has all the seasonings mixed and may included: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice and sometimes ginger.)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

READY, SET, GO!

First let's make the crust:

Open the two brick packages of cinnamon graham crackers and place them in a gallon sized, zipper style, plastic bag, Zip close the bag and using a rolling pin, roll over the bag to crush the graham crackers into a fine sand-like consistency.
Add in the melted butter into the plastic bag... and sometimes if the butter will not hold the graham crackers together in the springform pan, I will add about 2 Tablespoons of light corn syrup. Now, with your hands knead the butter (and corn syrup) together. It should look like wet sand and clump together.
Cut a circle out of parchment paper. With some non-stick cooking spray...generously spray a large spring-form pan and place the circle of parchment on the bottom and then lightly spray the top of the parchment, too. See my instructions on how to cut a circle out of parchment, below.
Now, dump out the prepared graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan and press, with your hands, to tightly pack down the crumbs, pressing them all the way up the sides of the pan, too! BE PATIENT as it will take a bit of time to get the graham cracker crumbs to cooperate, but it will happen!
Preheat the oven to 335F degrees (if you have a digital selector...if not then set the temperature to 350F...but this is a bit hotter than I like to bake my cheesecake and sometimes will cause the cheesecake to over-bake and crack the surface...which is not bad, but it does happen. Adding the pan of water to the oven helps to prevent the cheesecake from cracking...but sometimes it just cracks. anyway.)

Now We may begin making the Pumpkin Cheesecake filling:

Using a large mixing bowl and a stand mixer (or heavy duty hand mixer), with the paddle attachment, beat all the bricks of cream cheese until light and fluffy. Stop occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
Next, add in the sour cream and mix again stopping to scrape the bowl one time, at least.
Now, add in the 4 whole eggs (egg yolk and whites...discard the shells). Mix at a low speed to incorporate the eggs and then turn up the speed to mix them in well.
Finally, add in the pumpkin, spices, sugar, flour and vanilla extract. Mix slowly at first and then speed it up to incorporate it all well. Stop one time to scrape the bowl sides and bottom.
Pour this filling into the prepared springform pan with the graham cracker crust.
Place this in the center-most part of the oven. Additionally, add a cake pan filled 3/4 full of hot water and place it on the bottom rack of the oven to add moisture in the oven during the baking process.
Bake at 335F degrees for 65-70 minutes (if baking at 350, reduce the time to 50 minutes). You will know it is done when the sides look firm and the center jiggles like gelatin.
Remove it from the oven and place it on a cooling rack and let the cheesecake cool, in the pan, for 1 hour.
After cooling for one hour, remove the sides of the springform pan and let the cheesecake set on the counter and continue to cool for an additional 2 hours.
Place the cheesecake in a pie container and refrigerate for at least 12 to 24 hours before slicing.
Serve with a dollop of fresh cinnamon and vanilla flavored whipped cream!
Pre-slice the entire pie, Place strips of parchment between each slice, reassemble into a pie shape, wrap in plastic wrap and then freeze for up to 1 month. Pull out a slice at a time and let it thaw for about 30 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

How to cut a circle:

Tear out a large piece of parchment paper.

Fold this piece in half, matching up the edges evenly.

Now, fold in half, again, matching up the edges.

Next, grab the bottom folded corner and have the open edges are facing the top and side. Fold this into a cone shape.

Place the cone on your circular pan, Have the pointed part of the cone at the centermost part of your round pan with the edges overhanging the outer edge of the pan. Make a crease at the outer edge where the paper is hanging off. This is where you will make your cut.