Now - I have never made this with actual cream cheese, nor actual eggs (or butter). So if my husband's family had no clue it wasn't made with all that good stuff then it must be good with it. For anyone who doesn't eat dairy or eggs - we used Toffuti's Better than Cream cheese and Ener-G egg replacer, and Nucoa margarine in place of the dairy/egg ingredients. Let me tell you- it is freakin' awesome.
Pumpkin Cheesecake - serves 12 (or if you really like cheesecake it could be single serving)
Position rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350. Assemble a 9 inch springform pan, making sure the raised side of the bottom is facing out (I'd hate for you to get smoked out of your house by butter burning off the bottom of your oven.)
Make the crust (once again, food processor works, I used the good ol' fashioned zip lock bag and a rolling pin, less clean up for me) - crush up 10 graham crackers and 1/4 c. sugar. Add 4 T unsalted butter, melted and mix until moist yet crumbly. Press firmly into the bottom of the pan, coming up a it on the edges to prevent the batter from getting under the crust. Bake until golden around the edges (about 10 minutes)
Set a timer and start on the filling. With an electric mixer, beat 4 pkg (8 oz each) bars of very soft cream cheese and 1 1/4 c. sugar on low speed until smooth. Mix in 3 T. flour (be very careful not to over mix. Gluten is not a cheesecake's best friend). Add 1 c. canned pumpkin puree, 1 T + 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. nutmeg, 1/2 t. ground cloves, 1 t. all spice and 1/2 t. ground ginger (or you could just use 2 T Pumpkin Pie spice, I find that too simple), 1 T pure vanilla extract, and 1/2 t. salt; mix until just smooth. Add 4 large eggs (at room temp.), 1 at a time, mixing after each.
Hopefully you remembered to remove your crust from the oven - Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform and gentle smooth top. Transfer to oven and reduce heat to 300. Bake 45 minutes. DO NO OPEN YOUR OVEN. Turn off the oven and let cheesecake stand in oven for 2 more hours. Resist all temptation to open the door.
Remove your cheesecake from the oven after waiting patiently for 2 hours; transfer entire pan to a wire rack to cool completely. After completely cool, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge until firm. This takes no less than 4 hours. If you are a make ahead sort of person, you can leave it in the fridge up to 3 days. Remove sides of springform before serving.
The process of making the cheesecake isn't complicated, but it is quite a time consuming feat. Trust me, the results are well worth the wait.
For future reference cheesecake, pumpkin
How about some pie? OK - well a pie crust. This is my very favorite. It's tender yet flaky, does life get any better? I've used it with cherry, apple and blueberry pie - so it has withstood the test of variety I'd say.
Very Favorite Pie Crust - makes 1 crust (for most filled pies you'll need 2, for run of the mill pumpkin and other cream pies one will do just fine)
Place 4 T. butter and 5. T butter flavored shortening onto a plate and put into the freezer for 20 minutes.
While waiting patiently, combine 3/4 c. cake flour and 3/4 c. AP flour, 1 t. sugar, 1 t. salt and 1/8 t. baking powder into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds to mix. (please note, I made this at my MIL's house and she does not own a food processor, I sifted them together instead and it worked out just fine)
Add half of butter and half of shortening and pulse for 1 minute. Add remaining butter and shortening; cut in very briefly with processor, leaving pea-sized crumbs (once again, no food processor, no problem. I used a pastry cutter and must say I do prefer it. Plus there is less to clean up afterward)
In a small bowl, mix together 1 T vegetable oil, and 2 t. white vinegar. Add 3 ice cubes and 1/2 c. cold water. Allow to sit for several minutes to let the temp. drop a bit. Place flour and shortening mix into a large mixing bowl (if you're not using a food processor there is no need to transfer, just keep everything in the bowl you're using for the flour/shortening mix); sprinkle with 4 T of the water mixture, if you feel you need a bit more add a 5th T. Cut a bit more with pastry cutter. Place dough in plastic wrap and chill for 7 minutes. Remove from fridge and roll out.
*I recommend rolling between 2 sheets of wax paper, it makes for a better crust because no additional flour is being worked into the dough, and it makes for less frustration because the crust doesn't tear or get stuck to the rolling pin causing a dough club.
Bake according to pie recipe. Don't forget to put foil around the edges!
For future reference Pie
They gotta be good! Next in line is one of my very favorites. They're a cookie of Greek origin - and no doubt a staple of my youth. They're buttery and crumbly and sugary... everything a cookie should be!
Kourambiedes - makes about 4 dozen
Beat on medium speed until lightened in color and smooth and creamy:
3/4 lb (yes that is 3 sticks, no typo here) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 t. salt
Beat in until very fluffy and well blended:
2/3 c. powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 T ouzo
1 t. vanilla
gradually add and stir until well blended and smooth:
3 c. AP flour, sifted.
Cover and refrigerate the dough until firm enough to shape into a ball (this takes about an hour, but more time wouldn't hurt - if anything your balls will keep their shape better)
To bake, position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets.
Pull of pieces of the dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Space an inch or so apart on sheet.
Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies are very very slightly browned - about 14 - 18 minutes. Rotate sheet half way through. Remove sheet to a rack and let stand until cookies set slightly. NOTE - they will be very fragile, they may look set - give it another 5 minutes or I promise they will fall apart on you.
Move cookies to cooling rack and sift over cookies until evenly coated with 1/2 c. powdered sugar.
Enjoy - they really are something else. If you've never had Kourambiedes before... I advice you stop reading and start baking!
For future reference cookies
What kind of mother would I be if I didn't share with my youth the joy of baking? Well, I don't want to think about that - so rather than dwell on what could be - I shall share our very favorite sugar cookie recipe. I tend to tweak things a bit, and due to some very unfortunate food allergies that are extraordinarily severe, we often sub out butter, eggs, and the like. The way I see it, if these are tasty without butter and eggs then imagine how super awesome they must be with!
Rolled Sugar Cookies - makes about 3 dozen (give or take depending on how much of the dough your my 3 year old eats before baking)
Whisk together thoroughly:
3 1/4 c. All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Beat on medium speed until very fluffy and well blended:
20 T (that's 2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
add and beat until well combined:
1 Large egg (we use Ener-G egg replacer)
1 T milk (we go with Soy)
2 1/2 t. vanilla
Gradually stir flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended and smooth. Divide the dough in half. Place each half between 2 large sheets of wax (or parchment) paper.Roll out to 1/4 inch thick, checking the underside of the dough and soothing any creases. Keeping the paper in place, later the rolled dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate until cold and slightly firm (about 30 minutes).
Position a rack in the center of oven. Preheat oven to 375 - grease cookie sheet. Working with one portion at a time (leave other portion in refrigerator), gently peel away and replace 1 sheet of paper. Peel away and discard 2nd sheet. Cut out the cookies using your choice of cutters. With a spatula transfer them to the cookie sheet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Roll dough scraps and continue cutting until all dough is used. If the dough becomes sticky or hard to work with place back in fridge for a few minutes.
Bake 1 sheet at a time, just until the cookies are lightly colored on top and slightly darker at the edges - 6 - 9 minutes; rotate the sheet halfway through baking for even browning. Remove the sheet to a rack and let stand until the cookies firm slightly. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool. Make sure cookies cool completely before decorating. Use table knife to ice cookies if desired.
For future reference cookies
OK - I have given into the pressure and I am embarking upon my second blogging adventures. I figure since cooking is my favorite - and baking is my very favorite - I should perhaps share my passion a wee bit with anyone else who enjoys to create tasty morsels in the warmth of their own kitchen. If all goes as planned (and it rarely does), I hope to keep on my baking theme this holiday season. Should I feel extra crafty, perhaps I'll post a non-desserty recipe or two. Only time will tell. So keep those eyes peel and get out the mixer and pastry cutter (which by the way are very hard to find now a day! - but that's another story for another day), a few loaf pans and perhaps a cookie sheet or two - it's time to get a' bakin'
For future reference The start of it all
