Happy Birthday, hubby! Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

It's my husband's birthday today!  He finally caught up with me (for a few months).  He LOVES pumpkin pie, so when I offered to make a pumpkin cheesecake for him tonight, he enthusiastically said YESYESYES!

I found a recipe on Once Upon a Chef that looked promising...

Ingredients:

• Crust
• 7-1/2 ounces gingersnaps (or 1-1/2 cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• I doubled it because I wanted to go up the sides a bit.  It was too much! I'll probably toast the left over crumbs to use as a crumble for something...

• Filling
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
• Not pumpkin pie filling, or it'll be too sweet and too spiced!
• 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 5 large eggs, room temperature

• Caramel sauce
• There is a recipe on the original above, but I'm opting to use the Apple Cider Caramel I made last week.  Yummmmmy!!

Instructions:

1.  Mise en place the crust:
   
2. Preheat oven to 325°F.
3. Wrap a 10" springform pan in several layers of aluminum foil (heavy duty is best) and spray the inside with non-stick cooking spray.
    
• This step is to keep the water out when you do the water bath.  We discovered later that I didn't have a roasting pan the right size, so really didn't need to do this step. Oh well.
4. Blitz the cookies and brown sugar in a food processor until a fine dust.
5. Stream in melted butter while pulsing until combined
6. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan and up the sides a bit, as desired.
7. Bake crust @ 325° for 15 minutes.
8. Remove and set on a cooling rack while you make the filling.
9. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil to use for the water bath.
10. Mise en place the filling:
    
11. In a sauce pan, combine pumpkin, sugar, spices, and salt.
12. Bring to a "sputter" (this mixture is too thick to really boil), stirring constantly.
13. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes until it is thick, dark, and shiny.  Stir constantly!
    
14. Put the hot mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer (you can use a large food processor if you have an 11-12C one).
15. Beat for a minute or so to release steam and smooth out the texture.
16. Add the cream and cream cheese and process for 30 seconds to a minute.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, as needed.
     
17. Add the eggs and lightly mix until just combined (15 seconds at most).  Do not over-mix this!
     
18. Put the foil-wrapped springform pan and crust into a larger roasting pan with high edges. Pour the batter into the cooled crust.
    
19. Pour enough boiling water (step 9) into the roasting pan to reach 1/2 way up the springform pan.
• I didn't have a roasting pan (ooooops), so I put a cake tin filled with water into the oven to at least introduce some moisture.  My cheesecake cracked a little, but not enough to worry about.
20. Bake at 325° until just set - about 1 1/2 hours.
21. Remove and put the entire roasting pan on a wire rack to cool for 45 minutes.
22. Remove the springform pan from the water bath, discard the foil, and put on a wire rack to continue to cool for 3 hours.
23. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (and up to overnight).

Here it is all ready to go - we just have to wait 7 hours for it to cool!

I'm back... with my super-easy Chipotle Pasta Sauce!

It's been over a month since I cooked or posted anything.  Several things have happened:

1. I discovered that I'm allergic to my sourdough starter, or something in it.  The cooked products are fine, but when I have it out to "wake up" and start to use it, my eyes get red, itchy, swollen, watery, etc.  I look (and feel) a mess.  So for now, the sourdough experiment is done.
2. We got a PUPPY!  We got a pug and named him Hercules Mulligan (Hercules Mulligan, I need no introduction. When you knock me down I get the f*ck back up again!*)  We're calling him Mulligan.

* This is a line from Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit Broadway show Hamilton.  My husband and I are a bit obsessed with it and knew that we wanted to name the pup after one of the characters.  Hercules Mulligan (played incredibly by Oak Onaodowan) was a patriot spy during the American Revolution, and a great friend of Hamilton.

Now on to my recipe for the evening.  This is something I've made up after having a nice spicy pasta one night and knowing I could do something better (and cheaper) at home!

This is more like a set of instructions, since this is a total cheat recipe.  I don't MAKE anything.  I dump things into pots and serve it up as something magical.  It's amazing and there is no shame.  We're all busy and need a quick go-to recipe once in awhile.  The beauty of recipes like this is that you can adjust it to your own tastes.

Jenn's Guidelines for Chipotle Pasta Sauce

 Ingredients

• 2 24oz jars of marinara sauce
• Cheat #1: I use store-bought.  You can make your own, if you want.  I don't.  I get 2 different jars to vary the flavors a bit.
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• I buy a can of them and buzz them up in my food processor.  Then I freeze the paste in snack-size zip-top bags.  This way I have what I need.
• I use a good amount (you can see in the picture below).  Probably 2 Tbsp?  My husband and I like things spicy, so this is...
• 8 oz of cream cheese
• Cheat #2: I use the jalepeño, to add to the overall flavor and creaminess with one ingredient.
• Cream/milk products help diffuse the heat, so if heat is a problem, don't leave this out!
• 1 lb dry pasta
• Cheat #3: Yes, I use boxed pasta.  Let's be real: this is meant to be a quick meal.  If I had time to make my own pasta, I'd probably have time to make my own sauce from scratch.
• I used mini penne because it's what we had and it's handy.  Use what you like, but I recommend penne or rigatoni, etc.
• Extra-virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• Splash of milk or cream, optional
• Grated parmesan to top

Instructions

1. Mise en Place (of course!)
   
2. Follow the directions on the pasta package to prepare.  Don't forget to salt your water!
3. While the pasta is boiling, dump the rest of the ingredients into another pot and stir until heated through and the cream cheese is melted.
• Yes, really.  That's the whole thing. :)
  
4. Add a splash of milk or cream toward the end if you'd like to have a more pink sauce.
   
5. Add herbs or spices or meats to your taste.  I don't.  I choose jarred sauces that are different but complementary and don't stress about the rest.
6. Plate up some pasta and top with sauce and grated parmesan.
7. Enjoy!

It really is that easy.  We have more than enough for dinner tomorrow and a few lunches for me.  It's quick but different enough to not feel like jarred sauce.

It's good to be back, practicing in my kitchen!  Let me know if you try this and what changes you try!  I'd love to be inspired by you!!

Braided Lemon and Cream Cheese Bread

I found this recipe from Girl Versus Dough on Tablespoon.

I LOVE LEMON.  A lot.  I was so excited to find this recipe.  The dough is sweet... the cream cheese is sweet and a little tart.  And of course the lemon curd is tart!!

Here we go...

Braided Lemon and Cream Cheese Bread

Ingredients

• Sponge:
• 6 tablespoon warm water (~110° F)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Dough:
• 6 tablespoon sour cream or yogurt
• 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Cream Cheese filling:
• 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon sour cream or yogurt
• juice of 1 small lemon
• lemon zest
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Lemon Curd:
• 1/4 cup lemon curd
  I used store-bought because I haven't tried making my own yet.  Someday...
• Egg wash:
• 1 large egg
• 1 Tbsp water

Instructions:

1. Say it with me, people: Mise en place!
• Get your ingredients together. This is your chance to figure out if you're missing something.
  
2. (Optional) Make the curd.
• If you're making your own, do it first.  It will need time to cool.  This time around, I used store bought, because I've never made curd and didn't want to have too many possible places for this to fail.  I'm sure I'll tackle this in the future - I adore lemon.
3. Make the sponge.
• Test the temperature of your water!  I will always recommend doing this, regardless of how experienced you think you might be.  I've only started having success with yeast once I stopped being stubborn and started testing the temperature.
• Measure the yeast before adding it.  This recipe calls for Instant yeast which is the same as Rapid Rise but different than Active Dry Yeast.  Oooops.  I used Active Dry because I wasn't paying attention... we'll see how this goes.
• Stir well, cover with a towel, and let proof for 10-15 minutes.  I did this step in the bowl of my stand mixer, to make the next step easier.
  
4. Make the dough.
• Add the remaining dough ingredients (except the flour) and mix well.  Switch to a dough hook.  Don't be like me and try to knead your dough with the whisk attachment...
• Add the flour a half cup at a time until the dough comes together and is smooth and elastic-y.  I never really understood this until recently as I've been working on my bread-making skills.  Surprisingly, this is hard to explain, but you'll know.  You'll learn what works and what doesn't.  It shouldn't be super sticky.  It shouldn't be dry and crumbly.  It should be one mass of dough that is smooth on the outside and tender to the touch.
• Note: I was rushing and put both eggs into my dough.  I ended up needing more flour to balance out the extra moisture.  This will probably also mean a "puffier" finished product.  So far I've messed up the yeast and the eggs... Let's see if I can finish this and have something edible!
5. Let it rise.
• Turn the dough into a greased bowl.  Flip once to coat the entire dough in oil.
• Cover and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.  I turn my oven on to 200° F and turn the bowl every 15 minutes or so.  I like to keep the temperature of our place pretty cool, but yeast prefers warm!
  
6. Make the filling.
• Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, blend together all the filling ingredients until smooth.
  
7. Prepare the dough and fill.
• Punch down the dough.  You can use the whole dough or divide into 2 (if you prefer 2 medium braids).  I'm doing 2 medium braids because I'm sending some to work with my husband tomorrow. I might try even smaller ones someday as individual servings.
• Roll into a rectangle with the dough about 1/4" thick.
• Using the side of your hand, mark two lines the length of the long side of the rectangle evenly dividing the rectangle into 3 sections.  You're marking the dough into thirds to know where to cut and where to fill.
• Spread the cream cheese filling down the center section, spreading to the marked lines and almost to each end.  Leave about an inch at each end that is unfilled.
• Spread the lemon curd on top of the filling.  Since I was using store bought, I ended dropping thin "dollops" of curd along the center.  We'll see how that works.
  
8. "Braid."
• This isn't really a braid.  It's just alternating flaps crossing over each other - almost like lacing up a pair of sneakers.
• You can see in the picture above that I've cut the corners out.  This is approximately the end that you've left with no filling.  Here's a close-up:
  
• Fold the top and bottom flaps up over the fillings. For the sides, cut even strips down sides - evenly spaced down the side as well as matching the cuts on the opposite side.
  
• Alternate left and right bringing a single flap at a time across and down just a smidge.
• Tuck the ends of the last pair into the bottom flap as best as you can:
  
• Transfer carefully to sheet pan lined with parchment or a silpat.  This seemed incredibly difficult at first, but was pretty easy.  Take your time.  Use your hands; the dough sticks to things so it's easier to control with your fingers.
  
9. Let it rise (part 2).
• Cover with plastic wrap and a towel.  Leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.
  
10. Bake.
• Brush with your egg wash
  
• Bake at 350° F for 20-30 minutes.  If your oven is running hot and the bread browns quickly (which mine does), tent with foil after 10 minutes or so and remove for the last 5 minutes of baking.
11. Cool  and serve.
• Ta-daaaaaaaa.

You can kind of see that it's a bit more puffy than you'd expect from this kind of sweet bread, but it's still amazing.

Hope you enjoyed this recipe.  Comment or message me with ideas, questions, suggestions!

I'm enjoying all this practice in my kitchen.