Jodi's Pumpkin Cheesecake

Here is a cheesecake from my friend Jodi. Jodi says that this cheesecake is always a hit, she thinks it is the ginger snap crust. I think it is Jodi's excellent kitchen skills!

This picture is from Masterpiece Pumpkins, check out their site, I am fascinated!

Crust
1 ½ cups ground gingersnaps
1 ½ cups toasted pecans (about 6 ounces)
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup ( ½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
4 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups canned solid pack pumpkin
9 tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 large eggs

1 tablespoon purchased caramel sauce
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Finely grind ground cookies, pecans and sugar in food processor. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottom and sides of 9 inch diameter springform pan with 2 ¾ inch high sides.

If you don't have a spring form pan, the best ones are from Pampered Chef, if you get invited to a party you need to get something! ;)

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large mixing bowl until light. Transfer ¾ mixture into small bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate to use for topping. Add pumpkin, 4 tablespoons whipping cream, ground cinnamon and ground all spice to mixture in large mixing bowl and beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until combined.

Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan). Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool for 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Bring remaining ¾ cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature. Add remaining 5 tablespoons whipping cream to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Press down firmly on edges of cheesecake to even thickness. Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly. Spoon caramel sauce lines over cream cheese mixture. Using tip of knife, swirl sauce into cream cheese mixture.

Release pan sides from cheesecake and serve.

If you really want to be fancy, spoon sour cream into pastry bag fitted with small star tip (do not stir before using). Pipe decorative border around cheesecake then serve.

Guilt Free Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

Again, Self magazine delivers with this decadent dessert just in time for the holidays...

Ingredients
Crust
2 tbsp slivered blanched almonds
Vegetable oil cooking spray
6 chocolate wafers

Filling
15 oz (1 3/4 cup) part-skim ricotta
8 oz lowfat cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lowfat sour cream
1 large whole egg
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp almond extract (or to taste)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp amaretto (if desired)
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp instant-espresso powder
3 tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips

Preparation
Heat oven to 350°. Toast almonds on a small baking sheet for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; reduce heat to 325°. Coat an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap outside of pan in foil to prevent seepage. Process chocolate wafers and almonds in a food processor until fine crumbs. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsp crumbs onto bottom of pan (just enough to coat bottom lightly). Shake pan to distribute evenly. Reserve remaining crumbs. Filling: Puree ricotta in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Add cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, egg, egg whites, almond extract, flour and salt; puree until smooth. Whisk amaretto, if desired (or same amount of hot water), 2 tbsp hot water, cocoa powder and espresso powder in a bowl until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Stir 1 cup plain filling into chocolate mixture. Set aside. Pour remaining plain filling into prepared pan. Drizzle chocolate filling in a circular pattern over plain filling. Using a knife, make circular strokes to create swirls in the plain filling. Add 1 inch hot water to a shallow baking pan; place springform pan in baking pan. Bake until cheesecake is firm around the edge and slightly soft in the center, 45 to 55 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan. Remove foil; let cool on a rack. Chill 6 hours or overnight before removing sides of pan. Press reserved crumbs onto side of cheesecake.

Thanks Megan, looks great!~J

Notes on wine from Jason:

Only one thing to pair with this....Port. Although I have tried a few ports from Trader Joe's I have yet to find one worth recommending. Sp pick the one you like best. If forced to recommend I'd have to go far off the beaten path. I'd offer this Pedroncelli Port Four Grapes. Anyone headed to Dry Creek for a tasting and looking for some bottles they can afford to bring home should be sure to stop and visit Pedroncelli.

Carrie's Lemon Cheesecake

This recipe comes from my parents good friend, Carrie Muntz, Carrie has a surplus of lemons on her trees, which is why I shared a recipe for Limoncello. This is a delicious almost fat free cheesecake, I think this would be beautiful at a Bridal Shower.

Crust: Cooking spray

1 3/4 cups fat-free vanilla wafer cookie crumbs

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling: 1 (8-ounce) packages fat-free cream cheese

2 (8-ounce) packages low-fat cream cheese

1 cup fat-free sour cream

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Lemon Curd: 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

Make crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Lightly spray a (9-inch) spring form pan with cooking spray. Mix crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and crust is set. Cool on rack.

Make filling: In large bowl with electric mixer on medium-high, beat cream cheese and sour cream for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, just until incorporated. Beat in zest and juice. Pour into crust. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until center is almost set, but still slightly jiggly. (Do not over bake, as it will firm as it cools). Let cool completely.
Make lemon curd: In the top of a double boiler, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, egg yolk, and sugar or sugar substitute over gently simmering water. Whisk until hot and frothy, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in butter and continue whisking for 7 minutes or until thickened and coats back of spoon. Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes.
Run a thin blade around the edge of the spring form pan and remove sides. Transfer to a serving plate. Spread lemon curd over top. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Garnish with raspberries and zest, if desired. Cool cheesecake in refrigerator several hours or overnight before serving.

Italian desert, Marscapone Cheesecake

Today is the 12th day of Christmas or the Epiphany, when we were kids we celebrated the Epiphany as Italians do with a visit from the Befana. Since my mom isn't here to fill my Befana doll's pockets in her dress with little toys & chocolate coins, I decided to have Matt's family over for an Italian dinner. This is a recipe for an Italian cheese cake.

Crust: 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, lightly toasted

2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Filling: 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons Frangelico

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

Topping: 1/2 cup Nutella

1/4 cup whipping cream

For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Tightly wrap the outside of a 9-inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the hazelnuts, cracker crumbs, and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and process until moist crumbs form. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan (not on the sides of the pan). Bake the crust until it is set and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Cool. Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
For the filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the Frangelico and vanilla. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the center of the cheesecake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold). Transfer the cake to a rack; cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
For the topping: Combine the Nutella spread and cream in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave until warm, stirring every 20 seconds to blend, about 1 minute.

White Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

For Chirstmas dessert I wanted to make a cheesecake, and this year I wanted to make something that I am not allergic to...something without nuts. So I came up with this white chocolate caramel cheesecake. I hope everyone likes it.

Crust:
30 Anna's Ginger Cookies
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
4 tbsp. unsalted butter


Filling:
6 oz. white chocolate (get the good stuff) finely chopped
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temp.
1/2 lb. Neufchatel cheese, room temp
5 lg. eggs, room temp
3/4 c. sugar
3 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

For Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Double wrap outside of 10 or 12 inch spring form pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, covering bottom and up sides to catch any batter leakage. In food processor, process cookies to fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into spring form pan. With hands, mix in melted butter and brown sugar until crumbs hold together; use your knuckles to press crumb mixture up sides and over bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool.


FOR FILLING: Melt chocolate in double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool to lukewarm. Using electric mixer, beat cheeses in large bowl until smooth. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in sugar, flour, vanilla extract. Stir 1 cup of mixture into lukewarm white chocolate; mix into remaining filling in bowl.
Pour filling over crust. Bake until cheesecake is firm around edges but still moves slightly in center when pan is shaken, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make it caramel, top the cheesecake with a pretty caramel pattern using caramel syrup.