Pumpkin Cheesecake! Pumpkins, Squash and Autumn Corn! The Flavors of the Season!
It’s that time of year and nothing says Autumn like pumpkins!
Pumpkin is great in soup, cheesecake, cookies, pies, breads, curries and more.
Cooking with Fresh Pumpkin
There’s no shame in using canned pumpkin. Even professional bakers do it. But if you’re using fresh, choose small, flavorful sugar pie pumpkins–and save the big ones for carving. A four-pound pumpkin should yield about 1½ cups of puree.
To make pumpkin puree:
1. Cut the pumpkin in half and bake cut-side down, covered with foil, in a 375 degree F oven for about 90 minutes or until flesh is tender.
2. Allow to cool, scoop out the flesh, and puree.
3. Strain the puree for extra-silky smooth soups and custards.
A trip to a local farm introduced me to all kinds of squash and corn varieties.
The possibilities are vast and are not limited to baked goods.
Pumpkins are great in savory dishes and lend themselves to spicy flavors; think curry and roasted pepper.
Over the next few weeks I want to explore all things pumpkin, squash and corn!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker cookie crumbs
3/4 cup ground hazelnuts
3 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
4 eggs
Method
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
2.Using a fork, combine gingersnaps, hazelnuts, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and melted butter. Press mixture onto the bottom and two inches up the sides of the pan to form the crust.
3.With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin. Mix in the cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth.
4.Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, or until center of cheesecake is set. Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.
I have no idea what these are but I am willing to give them a try!
Posted in: Healthy, Ingredients, Inspirations, Recipes
Tags: allspice, brown sugar, butter, Cheese cake, cheesecake, cinnamon, corn, cream cheese, eggs, graham crackers, hazelnuts, heavy cream, how to cook with pumpkin, how to make pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin, pumpkin cheese cake, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin desserts, squash, vanilla
