pumpkin cheesecake w/ nutella ganache

When you go to bed at night, as soon as you hit the pillow, do you get all these pop up bubbles of thoughts of the day of what you didn't do or what you should have done? I hate that. Well, most nights I hate that. But last night I didn't hate. The perfect pop up bubble on how to make this cheesecake (2 tries) become better.
When I first made this cheesecake days ago I just wasn't happy with the ganache--it wasn't nutella-ly enough. And after days of trying to figure out what to do to change it before I posted it, it finally hit me in a pop up bubble last night (just after watching Top Chef Desserts too). I realized the chocolate I used was too strong; I should have used a milk chocolate instead of a bittersweet chocolate. So keep that in mind should you want to make this. A couple notes on this cheesecake. I am not a big fan of pumpkin cake or pie. So this cheesecake has a very mild pumpkin flavor; I used very little pumpkin spice flavoring and more cinnamon. But feel free to adjust however you like it--for some it might be too mild for you.



I am back to kind of loving Top Chef Desserts. Well, I was really happy that Yigit won last night. I just love him--he's so cute, so adorable, not to mention super talented. Did you also see that a Top Chef All Stars is coming? I wish Bravo would think about doing a "common Joe" type Top Chef for amateurs with mad skills. It would fly, I know it would. I should pitch that shouldn't I? They they'd listen? Eh.

pumpkin cheesecake w/ nutella ganache
recipe by dawn finicane
print recipe

crust
1- 10 oz box of Lorna Doone shortbread cookies, crushed fine (I used all 2 sleeves)
1 stick salted butter, melted
Tiny pinch of sea salt
1 ts vietnamese cinnamon

cheesecake filling
4 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temp
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup heavy cream (maybe a little less)
3 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks
1 cup plus 3 TB pumpkin puree
1 ts of pure vanilla extract
1 ts cinnamon
Couple dashes of pumpkin pie spice mix (use as much as you like; I’m not fond of it, so I used very little)

Nutella ganache
½ cup (maybe a little more) of milk chocolate chips
4 TB nutella spread
A couple of splashes of heavy cream
2 TB room temp salted butter

cook notes:
as I said above I should have used the milk chocolate chips instead of the bittersweet chips. I truly think the milk chocolate will meld better with the nutella. Depending on how thick or thin you like your Ganache use more or less of the heavy cream. This makes a lot of crust for the 10-inch pan, but I like to have it thick, so if you don’t like it thick you could probably halve it. But with the remaining leftover crust I just put it in a bag and freeze or make a mini cheesecake. There will also be leftover cheesecake batter—haven’t figured out how to scale it down yet. But with the leftover crust and batter you can easily make 2 mini cheesecakes if you have the mini springform pans. Also, I do not have a mixer, I know, everyone always ask how I do it, but I do, been that way for decades. So I just use a food processer, works perfectly. But use what you feel comfortable with.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a measuring cup, crack open the eggs and egg yolks, set aside until ready to use.
Spray a 10-inch springform pan with non stick spray. In a food processor grind up the cookies into a fine crumb. In a bowl, combine the cookies, a pinch of salt, and the melted butter. Mix, then press into the bottom and partially up the sides of the springform pan. (I use a flat bottomed glass to press it in evenly). Note: there will be some crumbs leftover; I normally use more crumbs than the average cheesecake because I love a thick crumb.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust is just lightly brown around the edges, set aside and let cool. Reduce the oven heat to 300°F.
In a bowl combine the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and vanilla extract until mixed well, set aside. I used my food processor to make the cheesecake batter—I suppose you could use a mixer, but I don’t have one. With the food processor, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and lump free. Add in the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the eggs one at a time until all is mixed well; add in the heavy cream. Then add in the pumpkin puree mix slowly. Process until all is well mixed.

baking:
Most people like to do a water bath for their cheesecake. I never do, I find all too annoying. But if you want to do this please feel free; it’s best to bake your cheesecake how ever you feel most comfortable.
I baked this cheesecake at 300°F for one hour and a half; turned off oven and left it alone for a couple hours. By then your middle should be nice and set. Recipe & photos by Dawn Finicane of vanillakitchen.blogspot.com Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Just before you’re ready to serve this, add on the Ganache. The cheesecake tastes best when the Ganache is nice and warm.

to make ganache:
Over low heat, melt the milk chocolate chips with the nutella, and a few splashes of heavy cream. To get it nice and glossy, just keep stirring being careful not let chocolate burn. Once it’s all melted and combined add in the 2 TB of salted butter to get it nice and glossy. Pour Ganache over the top of cheesecake or over individual slices.

new york style crumb cake and a giveaway

I was thrilled to bits, no thrilled to the moon when the new Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented arrived from the publishers. Even more thrilled that they sent me an extra copy. It is so time for a giveaway! I love to share happy happy good things.
I have to say a HUGE congrats to Matt & Renato on their second book. As soon as I opened the book, going straight to the back index to see the list of recipes first, I instantly grabbed my cell phone to send Matt a text at how AMAZING this new book was, how I love it way more than the first book but in a progressive-honest way. I mean seriously this second cookbook is really packed with a whole new family of sweet treats. Later I asked a friend if it was rude to say to Matt that the second book is better than the first--she said no; be careful how you word it though. True, because their first book had me hooked and to be honest their second book is amazing. Some people when they do a second book it doesn't measure up to the first. You think second books, they should should be as good as if not better than the first book; more recipes along the same lines as the first book but better. You with me? This second book they made recipes based on perfect food combinations--food combo's you WANT to eat/devour; recipes that foodies like us can truly use; actual recipes you want to make, and/or use for entertaining. Another excellent feature of their book, just like the first book is it's user friendly, very easy to follow along and make at home. Nothing too fancy or too unusual to do or buy. A few of their recipes? Like baked cheese grits, malted waffles, almond joy tart! Are you kidding? They speak my language! Wait till you see the photographs. There is this one photograph of a cake called "caramel apple cake". The cake is apple, it's thick and the frosting is caramel buttercream. Ohhh please. But the photo is so perfect; I need to learn how to frost the cake just like that. Then there is this recipe for chocolate-peanut butter fondue--this is what I will eat with a spoon, period.
There is also a recipe for chocolate coffee cake with dark chocolate ganche. Hello? Where do I begin on this one? I don't know how many more times I have to ask Matt to marry me before he says yes. Ha ha! Last winter I remember Matt telling me how he was secluded in a kitchen baking and testing away, and how tired he was. Well Matt it truly paid off. This book is a winner--I'm so happy for you and Renalto. Congrats my friend.
If you want to try and win this cookbook, just leave me a comment before October 27, 2010. Tell me what are your favorite cookbooks of all time? I draw one name on October 27, 2010. Good luck!
**And if you win, do you promise the book will go to a good home? You promise to love, honor and cherish it? **

new york style crumb cake
Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented
print recipe

Crumb topping
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted, and warm
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Cake
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 ts baking soda
¾ ts baking powder
½ ts salt
12 TB unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups sour cream
1 ts pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the rack in the center. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass 9 x 13-inch pan. You can use a metal pan, but the edges of the cake may turn crispy (although that is not traditional, it is not an altogether bad thing).

Make the crumb topping
In a medium bowl, stir together both sugars, the salt and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined. Fold in the flour until it is absorbed and set the mixture aside.

Prepare the Cake
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl and set aside.
Using electric mixer, beat room-temperature butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy; add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat just until blended. Add flour mixture in 3 parts, beating just until incorporated after each addition.

Assemble the cake
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spread batter evenly. Use your hands to scoop up a handful of the topping and make a fist. The topping should hold together. Break off in chunks and drop them over cake. Repeat to use all the topping. Remember the topping with look very thick.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Rotate the pan two times during the baking process. Cool entire pan on wire rack for about 30 minutes before devouring.
The cake will last 3 days, tightly covered, at room temperature.

brownies w/ espresso-cream cheese frosting topped w/ salty shortbread crumbs

Yes that is a very long title for brownies isn't it? But I wanted to really dress up a good batch of brownies. I love brownies with frosting on them--sweet on top of salty-sweet. Killer cavity making material I know, but if you're gonna indulge you might as well make it grand. The topping came about when I had leftover crumbs from my creamsicle cheesecake; had stored them in the freezer for future use. Those crumbs are just so good I hate to waste. And I have used my espresso-cream cheese combo before on my espresso-cream cheese rice krispie treats which were to die for good. I had kept that combo in the back of mind to use again hopefully on a cake or cupcake. I need to make a cupcake with this frosting combo STAT.
These brownies are really good. I mean they just satisfy that sweet & salty craving instantly. I ate a fair share of them and yes, ate the frosting with a spoon; to taste test--a few times.

brownies w/ espresso-cream cheese frosting topped w/ salty shortbread crumbs
print recipe

Brownies:
(use your favorite brownie recipe or you can use what I used from alton brown)

Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

Frosting:
1 – 8 oz pack of cream cheese, room temp
½ Starbuck Via, regular roast
¼ - ½ cup of sifted confectioners sugar (use more or less depending on your sweetness preference)
Sprinkle finished brownies with remaining Starbuck Via, (optional but wonderful)

Salty shortbread crumbs:
(I had leftover crumbs from when I made the creamsicle cheesecake, but I think this amount below would be enough for the topping?)
1 sleeve (more or less) of Lorna Doone cookies, crushed fine
A pinch or two of sea salt

Assemble:
Once brownies are cooled, spread frosting nice and thick, sprinkle with salty shortbread crumbs, then sprinkle with remaining Starbucks Via for decoration.

creamsicle cheesecake with buttery shortbread crust

I looked and looked to see if someone had done a creamsicle cheesecake. Couldn't find anything, so there in lies my homework assignment. After a few attempts I think I nailed it. Creamsicle and cheesecake just screams to be together doesn't it? And I wanted to add a layer of 'almost saltiness' to it (don't I always), so I used those Lorna Doone shortbread cookies as the crust. Do I even have to tell you how good this was? It was light and creamy with a hint of orange just like a true creamsicle. Please forgive me on this, for I did not write down the recipe. I am certain though I got it all down word for word though. Just taste-test it before you bake it to make sure it tastes, well, like a creamsicle. The only areas I might have been forgetful was the amount of chopped orange slices and heavy cream. So you might need to add or subtract these--that's why I say taste test as you go along. I promise you I will get better with writing down the recipes straight away. :-)
Can we talk about Top Chef Desserts for a bit? I mean since I have you here? I want to like the show I really do because I just love the concept, but the drama is such a huge turn off. I know a lot of chefs, and none of them have tempers, flare-ups, crying fits, etc... like those on Top Chef Desserts. Chefs and pastry chefs alike pride themselves on being cool, calm and INSPIRING in the kitchen (and out of the kitchen as well).
It was also shocking to see on the wedding cake episode how many of the pastry chefs didn't make a decent wedding cake. Sure the flavors were there in some of the cakes, but the overall stacking and presentation was lacking. I was asking my friends if these were indeed classically trained pastry chefs. Love the show, just wish there wasn't so much crying. Just like there's no crying in baseball, there's no crying in baking. What do you think of Top Chef Desserts? Is it what you thought it would be? I honestly thought it would be like Top Chef with, well, desserts--where everyone behaves and puts forth their very best creations.





creamsicle cheesecake w/ shortbread crust

by vanillasugarblog.com

print recipe

crust

1- 10 oz box of Lorna Doone shortbread cookies, crushed fine (I used all 2 sleeves)

1 stick salted butter, melted

Tiny pinch of sea salt

cheesecake filling

4 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temp

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup heavy cream (might need more)

3 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks

½ cup (or a little more) of orange candy slices, chopped very fine (the jelly-like ones coated in sugar; a sort of half moon shape)

1 ts of orange zest

A splash of vanilla extract

cook notes: as I said above I might be off on the amount of chopped orange slices and heavy cream used. So please taste test as you go along and before it goes in the pan for baking. This makes a lot of crust for the 10-inch pan, but I like to have it thick, so if you don’t like it thick you could probably halve it. But with the remaining leftover crust I just put it in a bag and freeze or make a mini cheesecake. There will also be leftover cheesecake batter—haven’t figured out how to scale it down yet. But with the leftover crust and batter you can easily make 2 mini cheesecakes if you have the mini springform pans. Also, I do not have a mixer, I know, everyone always ask how I do it, but I do, been that way for decades. So I just use a food processer, works perfectly. But use what you feel comfortable with.

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

In a measuring cup, crack open the eggs and egg yolks, set aside until ready to use.

Spray a 10-inch springform pan with non stick spray. In a food processor grind up the cookies into a fine crumb. In a bowl, combine the cookies, a pinch of salt, and the melted butter. Mix, then press into the bottom and partially up the sides of the springform pan. (I use a flat bottomed glass to press it in evenly). Recipe & photos by Dawn Finicane of vanillakitchen.blogspot.com

Note: there will be some crumbs leftover; I normally use more crumbs than the average cheesecake because I love a thick crumb.

Bake for 12 minutes, set aside and let cool. Reduce the oven heat to 325°F.

cheesecake batter:

I used my food processor to make the cheesecake batter—I suppose you could use a mixer, but I don’t have one (I know, weird). With the food processor, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and lump free. Add in the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. .

Add in the eggs one at a time until all is mixed well; add in the heavy cream. Then add in the vanilla extract, and orange zest; then add in the chopped orange candy slices. Process until all is well mixed.

baking:

Most people like to do a water bath for their cheesecake. I never do, I find all too annoying. But if you want to do this please feel free; it’s best to bake your cheesecake how ever you feel most comfortable.

I baked this cheesecake at 325°F for one hour then at 300°F for an additional 40 to 60 minutes or until the center is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Top with freshly whipped cream and I used all natural sprinkles form Whole Foods. These orange ones taste like orange.

ham and cheese stuffed buttermilk pancakes

Ham and cheese buttermilk pancakes just in time for the weekend. How in the world did this creation come about? I am the type of food eater that loves a little bit of everything in one bite. Let's say it's thanksgiving: I'm going to put on my fork a little bit of turkey, some sweet potato, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and dip it all gently in a bit of gravy while having a bite of those buttered rolls. Yeah. See now that's how it's done. That's how all the chefs do it too. Next time you watch Top Chef watch the judges when they go and taste the dishes. They take a little bit of food from all that is on the dish in ONE bite; not only to see how it all tastes BUT to see if it all melds nicely together.
Any meal I eat I have to have various food flavors going on and eat them all at once. I am not one of those people that eats the meat first, then the vegetable, then the whatever.... That's eating to eat. I eat to savor, to mix, to meld, to satisfy every single craving I have in a day in one meal---if I can.
Get to the darn pancakes already! OK. We all know I love my sweet & salty fix--on an hourly basis, and breakfast is the most important meal for savory right? LOL. But I love pancakes with salty, fried ham, drenched in syrup!
So just like my love of having a peanut butter & jelly sandwich with a nice slab of sharp cheddar in there (try it, it's really good) I wanted to try and add a layer of cheddar cheese to the pancakes. So why not just make a nice thick, fluffy, greasy pancake with a little bit of ham and melted cheese in the middle? It's good to experiment right? Even the fussiest of fussy food eaters on the planet (my husband) loved it. So there.

ham & cheese stuffed buttermilk pancakes
print recipe

use your favorite buttermilk pancake recipe (this is a good one from alton brown)
a few slices of thinly sliced ham
a few slices of thinly sliced mild cheddar cheese
a few TB of butter for pan and for topping pancakes
pure maple syrup

make your pancake batter as you normally would. when you get ready to pour them onto the griddle: pour a little bit onto griddle, spreading out just a bit and quickly place a couple slices of the ham, then a slice of the cheese. top the pancake with just a little bit more of pancake batter to cover. you will have to spread the batter over and around the ham & cheese to make sure it's nice and covered. when bottom side of pancake is done carefully flip over. this takes some skill as you don't want to break apart the middle part.
serve with the butter and warmed maple syrup.