Pumpkin Cheesecake

Continuing with all things deliciously pumpkin (my favorite fall flavor), today I have a pumpkin cheesecake. Cheesecake is one of those things that looks impressive, but really isn't hard to make. You can kind of just throw everything in a bowl and mix it all up and then pour it into a pan. The hardest part is telling if it's done, it will not look done, you still want a little wobble in the center. If you cook it too long it will crack a little, but it will still taste amazing, so not really the worst thing in the world. Make sure you use a spring-form pan, so you can get the cheesecake out with out crushing it. Enjoy some pumpkin cheesecake goodness.

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs (about 10 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
4 tbsp of butter, melted

Pumpkin Cheese Cake:
3 packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, softened slightly
8 oz (1 container) of Mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups of sugar
3 tbsp of flour
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 tbsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 tsp of ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp of ground cloves
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 350, with a rack in the center. Spray a 9" springform pan with non-stick spray. Make Crust: Combine cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter until moist crumbs form. Press crumbs into the bottom of the pan and bake until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Make the Filling: Beat cream cheese, Mascarpone, and sugar on low speed until smooth. Mix in flour, pumpkin, spices, and vanilla and mix until combined. With the mixer running, add eggs one at a time until all are incorporated in. Put pan with crust on a baking sheet and pour batter into the cake pan. Transfer to oven and bake until cheesecake is just set on the edges, and still a little wobbly in the center, about 45 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool, then refrigerate overnight. (adapted from Martha)

Happy Eating.

Oreo Cheesecake

I don't like to addmit it, but I really like oreos. They are completely the opposite of homemade, they are probably as packaged and mass produced as a cookie could be, but there is something so delicious about them anyways. The crisp chocolate cookie, the undentifiable cream substance, yum. So what's better than just eating oreos? Disguising there un-homemadeness by baking them into something! (like stuffed inside giant chocolate chip cookies). Or Swiriled into an already amazingly decadant cheesecake, taking it to the most insane and wonderful next level. Enjoy!

Oreo Cheesecake:
35 Oreos, divided (1 regular package has more than enough)
4 tbsp of butter, melted
1/2 tsp of salt
3 lbs (6 packages) of cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
8 oz of Mascarpone cheese
2 tsp of vanilla extract
5 eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. In a food processor, blend 20 oreos until all crumbs, with no big chuncks. Add melted butter and salt, process until combined. Grease a 10 inch springform pan. Press the oreo mixture into the bottom of the pan to create the crust. Bake until fragrant and crisp, about 10 minutes. Let crust cool completely. Make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar and flour, while mixing on low. Add Mascarpone and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined. In the food processor, pulse remaining oreos until the cookies are crumbs and small chunks only. Stir oreos into cheese cake. Pour batter into the cooled crust/pan. Place pan on a high rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven, and fill the pan with boiling water. Bake for 40 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325. Bake until set around the edges and slightly wobbly in the center. Turn oven off and leave the door cracked, let the cake cool in the oven for about an hour before removing. Let cake finish cooling on the counter, and then refridgerate overnight. Run a knife around the edges of the pan before releasing the spring.

Happy Eating.

Upside-Down Honeyed Cheesecakes

Well I suppose you waited long enough, my wonderful Valentine's dessert was cheesecake (find the dinner here). But not just any cheesecake, the most delicious, petite, adorable cheesecakes, with a lovely caramelized honey topping. These were so delicious, that I ate half of one before dinner, right from the fridge while they were cooling. I meant to just test a bite, to make sure they were worthy, and I looked down and it was half gone! (and no it didn't stop me from having more for dessert). I cannot wait to try this full sized as well, this cheesecake is magical. It's richer and a little less sweet than your average cheesecake, but then it has the honey topping to sweeten it up. They take a little extra effort to bake/assemble because of the upside-downess, but they are totally worth it. The recipe makes 6 but it divides in half easily, if you remember that 3 tsp equals a tbsp and 16 tbsp equals a cup. Enjoy!



Upside-Down Honeyed Cheesecakes:
Crust:
8 graham crackers
2 tbsp of honey
4 tbsp of butter
1/2 tsp of salt

Topping:
4 tbsp of honey
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tbsp of butter
3 tbsp of water

Cheesecake:
12 oz of cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 cup of Mascarpone cheese
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Pre-heat the oven to 425. Grease 6 ramekins. Make crust: In a food processor or blender, process graham crackers until they are all crumbs and no large pieces remain. Add butter, salt and honey and process until a incorporated. Press 1/6 of the mixture into the bottom of each ramekin. Bake until lightly golden and firm, about 5-7 minutes. Let cool a few minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the crust to loosen. Invert ramekins onto a piece of parchment paper and tap gently to release. Allow crusts to cool on the parchment. Wipe out the ramekins and re-grease. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. Make topping: In a small pot over medium heat the topping ingredients; butter, honey, sugar, and water until melted and smooth. Raise heat to high and boil until a candy thermometer reads 300 degrees, be careful not to let it burn. Pour the topping into the ramekins, dividing evenly. Allow to cool slightly while you make the cake. Make cheesecake: In the food processor, or in a bowl using a mixer, blend together the cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Add in Mascarpone, lemon juice and vanilla and blend until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and blend until just incorporated. Divide mixture evenly amongst the ramekins. Put ramekins in a roasting pan and fill with hot water, enough to come half way up the ramekins. Bake until just before the cheesecakes are set, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and gently press a crust on top of each cheesecake and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool on the counter until you can touch the ramekins with your bare hands then transfer to the fridge. Chill for at least an hour, up to 2 days (I chilled mine overnight). To serve: Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecakes and invert onto a plate, tap gently until you feel the cheesecake drop. Serve with fresh fruit. Some of the topping will be stuck to the top. You can microwave the ramekins to loosen it and drizzle it over the fruit, if you want. (adapted from epicurious)



Happy Eating.