Thanksgiving Recipe 2 - Pumpkin Cheesecake

I sneak sugar into everything. I am a sugar fiend. Give me sugar, coffee, and cigarettes to make me happy. My favorite flavor is sweet mixed with salty or savory. For example, baked brie with rum soaked cranberries (recipe on that one later).

Because I am all about the sugar, I am making an insane amount of desserts for Thanksgiving. Tonight, Chris and Mango are coming over. While Mango and Ellie play, Chris and I will be pie making. The apples are piled up on my table just ready to be peeled and heavily sugared and spiced and tucked nicely into a buttery pie crust.

This morning, because the receipe for this cheesecake means that it sits undisturbed in an over for several hours, I made it now.

The two tricks to this recipe is do not over mix and do not disturb. Do not check on it in the oven. Instead, trust you did not fuck up and let it be. This is a Martha Stewart recipe that I have altered so I copied and pasted it below with my own tips and notes in itallics.

FOR THE CRUST
1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs (I add roasted nuts.. heh.. I said roasted nuts..)
I put about 1/2 cup pecans into the food processor and ground them into oblivion before adding the graham crackers. Because I did not measure anything before hand, I measured 1 1/4 cup of the total mixture for the crust.
1/4 cup sugar
I used evaporated cane sugar because I like the larger crystals. I think this makes a better, sweeter crust.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING
4 packages (8 ounces each) bar cream cheese, very soft
Because I did not think ahead and pull everything out of the fridge to reach room temperature, I had to improvise. Sure, I could have melted this down a little in the microwave but instead, I put the bowl on the oven when the pie crust was browning.
1 1/4 cups sugar
Wait. Did I remember to add the sugar?! Shit. Keep your fingers crossed that I did.
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
In adding the flower, I realized that I have a metric shit ton of whole wheat flour, pastry flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and very little all purpose flour... I really hope I have enough for the rest of the week....
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons pumpkin-pie spice
If you do not have pumpkin pie spice you can create mix the following: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice.
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
I cannot stress enough how a real vanilla extract is worth the extra money.
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
This was another time I wish I had thought ahead. Because I started this project at 7:30am, I should have left the eggs out on the counter the night before. Because I did not, I put the eggs into a bowl of water that was warmer than room temperature and left them there as long as possible.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Assemble a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up.

For the crust, mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press firmly into bottom of pan and smooth out as much as possible. Bake until golden around edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Don't over brown it like I did.

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth. Mix in flour (do not overmix or Martha Stewart will come kill you in your sleep!). Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla, and salt and mix just until smooth. Make sure you scrape down the bowl and mix a little while longer otherwise you will get cream cheese lumps. Add eggs one at a time and make sure each is mixed in well.

Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Because I do not have a baking sheet with edges, I made a contraption with tin foil to catch any potential spills. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in oven 2 hours more (without opening).
Remove from oven to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap. refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold before serving.

So essentially my plan is to leave for work as soon as the oven dings. While making this cheesecake, James called to tell me that he had my car keys. In anticipation of this glorious dessert, I think I will just walk the couple of miles to work today...