Category: Food

Time for Pumpkin!

Sadie4 Comments

I’m sad to put aside the berries of summer, but what could be better than pumpkin in the fall!  Apples and pumpkin are definitely my two favorite fall flavor profiles.  Since my mom tends to own the apple pie concept in my family, so I’m more likely to go the pumpkin direction when I bake in the fall.

I was recently invited to a dinner party and I, of course, offered to bring dessert.  Initially I actually wanted to make a berry crumble, but I thought to myself: get over it Sadie the berry season is over this year (*tear*).  Then I reconsidered and thought I might as well get on the pumpkin train so I could start practicing potential recipes for Thanksgiving.  It was a good choice.

I decided to try out a pumpkin spice cheesecake, and I have these awesome Temptations individual ramekins, so it turned into individual pumpkin cheesecakes. Sometimes cheesecake is really dense but this one was nicely and fluffy, it’s a really good version.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

Yields one 9 inch cake (even though I made individual portions)

Cake recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats but I used Paula’s crust

Ingredients- Filling

  • 1 1/3 cups (10 1/3 oz.) sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp. ground allspice
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
  • 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 5 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Crust

  • 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 stick melted salted butter

Garnish

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • splash vanilla extract
  • sugar to taste
  • pecan halves

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 325.
  2. Combine crust ingredients so they are well mixed.  Pat crust into bottom on 9 inch spring form pan that has been greased.  Bake crust for 15 minutes and set aside to cool.
  3. Combine dry ingredients: sugar, spices, and salt.  Set aside.  Heat some water up in a tea kettle for later.
  4. Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until fluffy.  Add in pumpkin puree and vanilla, mix.  Add in 3 eggs, mix, then 2 eggs, mix.  Finally add heavy cream and mix.  Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl between additions, so it is well mixed.
  5. Add one third of the dry ingredients add at a time, mixing between additions.
  6. Place the spring form pan with the crust in the middle of a cookie sheet.  Pour the batter into the pan and place in the oven.  Pour the hot water from the tea kettle into the cookie sheet (not in the cake).  The water bath will help the baking process.
  7. Bake at 325 for 90 minutes (adjust baking time if you use a different size pan).
  8. Allow to cool for a couple hours before refrigerating.
  9. For garnish I whipped up some heavy cream with my electric mixer, and I added in some vanilla and sugar.  Then I used the pecan halves to decorate.

The Holiest Time of the Year

SadieLeave a comment

We are smack dab in the middle of the High Holy days on the Jewish calendar.  For those of you less familiar with the Jewish calendar, the High Holy days are days from when Rosh Hashanah starts and ends with Yom Kippur.  If you had to pick one time of year to actually show up at Temple, this would be the moment.

There are some serious religious things that go one during this period (like the whole not eating thing on Yom Kippur), but there are also some great traditions.  Since this time period marks the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah is traditionally a time to send  cards to friends and family, similar to Christmas cards.  You are supposed to connect with the important people in your life and ask forgiveness for any transgressions that occurred in the past year.  It’s basically a time to clean your slate with your friends.  Then the period ends with Yom Kippur which is when you settle the score with the big guy and ask for forgiveness by making a personal sacrifice of not eating for 25 hours.

My favorite thing about Yom Kippur is the scene at Temple.  I’ve never been to an Easter  Mass, but I would guess it’s similar.  Instead of wearing your best spring dress however, on Yom Kippur you break out you best fall suit.  I typically go to my grand parents temple on Long Island, and those women know how to throw down.  Forget fall fashion week in Manhattan, these women at temple throw around labels like you would not believe.  I have never seen more red soled shoes in one room in my life.  Yom Kippur service is a place to see and be scene, and since you didn’t eat dinner last night, or breakfast that morning, might as well squeeze into that dress that’s have a size too small in real life.  When you’re stuck in a room for three hours and all you can think about is a bagel with cream cheese, it’s nice to have pretty things to look at.

The final great thing about these holidays is the traditional food.  Rosh Hashanah is all about apples and honey to wish a sweet new year.  It’s no coincidence that this is big flavor profile in the fall.  Here are some links to some great High Holy day dessert recipes to try!

Walnut Honey Cake from Martha (pictured above)

Apple Honey Challah from Smitten Kitchen

Apple and Honey Tarts from Tales of an Overtime Cook

Apple Chunk Oatmeal Cookies from Cook Kosher

Octoberfest Beer-Braised Chicken Thighs

Carrie2 Comments

Today I made dinner for the first time in months.  I must say that in the summer I am super busy and either pick something up for dinner or stop by my parents on the way home for a quick bite to eat.  Now that the fall has arrived, I am able to be back in the kitchen once again. I tried one of Rachel Ray’s recipes as I was inspired by the Octoberfest beer I had in the fridge.  I made a few of my own alterations to the recipe to make it my own.

Ingredients

8 pieces boneless, skinless chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 package of your favorite kielbasa, 1 chopped onion, 1 bulb fennel thinly sliced, 1 chopped red pepper, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp thyme, 1 tbsp flour, 1 bottle Sam Adams Octoberfest beer, 1 14oz can diced tomatoes, 1 cup chicken stock, 2 tbsp hot sauce

Directions

1. Heat a dutch oven with one tbsp olive oil.  Then brown the chicken thighs in two batches.  Remove chicken thighs to a plate and then brown the kielbasa.

2.  Add the onion, fennel, pepper, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables are softened (about 10 minutes).

3. Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  Then pour in the beer and let the foam subside.  Stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock, and hot sauce.  Let the sauce thicken and return the chicken to the dutch oven.  Simmer covered for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Let the flavors meld and your meal is ready.

It’s an easy recipe and satisfyingly delicious!  I’ll give you the recipe for the apple cheddar buttermilk biscuits that I served along with it in my next post.  Happy Hump Day everyone!