Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

I made a pumpkin cheesecake over the weekend that was DA BOMB!!!!!  (Do people still say da bomb.....???) 

The recipe I used called for a lot of lovely spices (ground clove, cinnamon, all spice & ground ginger); I'm sure, you could easily substitute all that for Pumpkin Pie spice and get away with it.  The great thing about this cheesecake was that it had a very fluffy texture and not as dense as most cheesecakes. I believe, the key to getting a really fluffy cheescake was to press the water out of the pumpkin filling (canned) and use five eggs as opposed to four.

Here's how my cheesecake bakin' went!

I started out with Graham crackers....

 Put them in a food processor....

Ground them up.....

Added a couple tablespoons of buttah....

Stirred in Sugar n' Spice.....

Put the spiced buttery crumbs into a springform pan and patted them down in an even layer.  I baked the crumbs in the oven at 325 degrees for about 10-12 minutes - allowed it to cool down for 10 minutes when it was done.....

Mixed up my pressed out pumpkin filling with cream cheese, spices, sugar and eggs....

Poured the mixture into the springform pan and smoothed out the top of the filling.  I baked it in the oven at 325 degrees in a water bath for a little over an hour.  Because my oven is possesed it took less time than what the recipe recommended (1 1/2 hours).  Then I let it cool down in the pan for 45 minutes and put it in the fridge to chill for about 3 hours before serving....

Take it out put it on a fancy festive plate and if you're feeling brave add a toasted marshmallow to your slice....

I know - you're dying to make one yourself!

Here's the video on how to make it!

Bon Appetit!

Casual Thanksgiving Menus

I'm in the process of getting prepped for Thanksgiving dinner by planning out my menu (and cleaning out my fridge and pantry).  This year, I really want a very low-key and quiet Thanksgiving with my husband and kids....I'm holding my breath on that one.

In any case, I like to cook one new dish every year by thinking of different ways to cook the same traditional dishes I make.  For instance, a Mandarin Orange Glazed Turkey with Jasmine Rice and Curried Carrots would be very interesting for an Asian infused Thanksgiving - right?  On the down side of things, my husband would never have any of that, so I'm still stuck with a good ol' Mayflower meal!  However, that doesn't stop me from sharing with you some inspiration.

 

Here are three casual printable Thanksgiving  Menus that might offer up some ideas for you.  Just cut them out and place atop each place setting.  Recipes for most of the dishes can be found anywhere online.....however, the Coco Bread Stuffing is one that is all in my head!


Download the Traditional Menu Here
Download the Southern Menu Here
Download the Caribbean Menu Here