Pumpkin Cheesecake

I LOVE fall! All the rich colors and the rich flavors...I was driving down 1700 south today, looking out across the valley to the Oquirrh Mountains and it was truly amazing! With the gray sky and the darker gray clouds and the browns and oranges and shadows on the mountains it was as though I was looking at a painting. It was beautigul. I digress. One of my favorite things about this season is all things pumpkins. Pumpkin pie, Aunt Mary's pumpkin cake...don't even get me started on Jack-O-Lanterns. Not a real big fan of the pumpkin cookie though...hmmm...

I stumbled upon a cooking blog the other day and found this recipe. I made it for dad for desert of the month club and he shared it with the Deckers at dinner yesterday. Heidi actaully called to tell me how much she liked it. Thanks Beebs. And thanks blogger for posting it!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
1 3/4 cup gingersnap crumbs- about 30-35 small cookies
6 TBS melted butter
3 TBS brown sugar
3/4 cup ground pecans

Filling:
3 8oz. blocks cream cheese
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
6 oz. melted white chocolate - about 1 cup chips
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves

Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup roughly chopped toasted pecans
2 TBS caramel sauce

Wrap bottom and sides of springform pan with heavy duty foil. This will prevent leaks during the water bath.

For Crust: Use a food processor to crush gingersnaps. Then do the pecans. Combine gingersnaps, pecans, brown sugar and butter and stir well. Press into 9" springform pan. Press evenly along the bottom and up sides about 1-inch.

To melt chocoalte, place in microwave safe bowl and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beate cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Add pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

With mixer running, slowly add in white chocolate in a steady stream...more like blops.

Pour mixture on top of crust.

Place cheesecake pan inside a larger pan, at least 2-3" deep. Place in preheated oven...350...and fill with hot water about 1/2 way up.

Bake for 60-75 minutes or until set. Center should be just a tad jiggly.

Remove from oven and place on rack to cool completely. Place in fridge for at least 12 hours.

When ready to serve, spread with stiff whipped cream, drizzle with cramel sauce and sprinkle with toasted pecan pieces.

It sounds like a lot but it goes pretty fast and it's actually super easy. And really, cheesecake and pumpkin together? How could you go wrong?!

Enjoy!

Salmon and Salsa

Wow. It certainly has been a while since I promised to post these recipes. I guess that's what happens when life gets CRAZY! Since I have a minute to breath, finally, here they are...

SALMON

3 TBS light brown sugar
1 TBS honey
2 TBS butter
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS finel grated ginger

In small sauce pan, melt brown sugar, honey and butter. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool. Brush on salmon and grill.

MANGO SALSA

1/2 cup pepper jelly
3 TBS fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 1/2 cups peeled, chopped mangos (approx. 3-4)
1 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup chpped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalepeno pepper finely chopped (wear gloves and remove seeds and veins)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder

Whisk lime juice and jelly in bowl. Microwave to melt jelly. Mix in all ingredients

See? It's really fast and easy. Really the only time consuming part is chopping all the stuff for the salsa. I promise you'll love it and your guests will think you are a gourmet chef on the side!

ENJOY!

Dinner in the Mountains

So my friend Angie and I, she's tall, red hair (same stylist) and replaced me as RSP, decided to have a dinner party at the cabin. We wanted to do something fun with fabulous people that we don't really do much with but we should. The last time we did this, we did Dutch Oven, which was fun, we just spent more time sweating over our Dutch Ovens than mingling with our guests.

This time we decided to cook a fabulous, easy meal with as much make ahead as possible, so we could spend more time with our guests. Check it out for yourself. I think they had a great time. Oh, and that's Sparkling Cider in the Pilsners, in case any one's wondering. Sorry the photos are not the best. I had to use the phone because the camera battery was dead.

There was quite the lively conversation. DAM often had us in stitches...did you know when men enter the testing center at BYU, before they can take the test they ask them if they shaved that day? Seriously? Oh my...

Menu:

Grilled Salmon with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze

Fresh Mango Salsa

Spinach Salad with Raspberries, Swiss Cheese, Toasted Almonds and Raspberry Vinaigrette

Steamed Broccoli and Carrots

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Crusty Bread

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Homemade Brown Sugar Balsamic Swirl Ice Cream

I MUST get to bed but I promise to post recipes for the salmon and mango salsa tomorrow...or Saturday... :)

Brown Sugar-Balsamic Swirl Ice Cream

Ok, I know I promised something other than a dessert recipe and I will soon. Honest. But I had this ice cream at my friend Keri's last night and OH. MY. GOODNESS. I think I swooned. She found it on www.epicurious.com

The custard needs to be refrigerated overnight before it's processed in the ice cream maker, so plan accordingly.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar, divided
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

PREPARATION

Combine heavy whipping cream, whole milk, and 1/2 cup sugar in heavy large saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Meanwhile, whisk yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until very thick, about 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and thermometer inserted into custard registers 180°F, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard into large bowl set over another bowl of ice and water. Cool custard completely, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Cover and chill overnight.

Boil balsamic vinegar in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 6 minutes. Cool syrup in pan.

Process custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. When ice cream is done, spoon in balsamic syrup and churn 3 to 4 seconds longer to swirl. Transfer ice cream to container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

It's quite rich but oh so delicious. The balsamic gives it just the right bite or kick if you will. If you're trying to woo your man...just spoon him some of this and he's all yours...

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

First, let me just say I PROMISE I will post something other than baked goods soon. For now, just enjoy...

I have a peanut butter cookie recipe that I really love. It has proven very useful over the last 16 or so years. A plate of these cookies has done everything from getting extra miles on the mission car, only allowed so many per month, to proposals of marriage...hmm...maybe I should have said yes...

Now before you get all excited to make them yourself, I have to tell you this recipe is one of two I will never give out. A girl's gotta always have something in her arsenal that not everyone has right? You'll never get it out of me.

So...in order to share a good peanut butter cookie recipe with you, I have begun a quest. I tried a new recipe last night but according to the judges, they were good but not blog worthy. I will keep my eyes open and continue to test but if anyone out there in blog world has a really good one...let me know.

Lemon Bars

So Beebs asked for a good lemon bar recipe today. I've tried a bunch of different fancy recipes but this one is the one I always come back to. I think I'd take lemon over chocolate any day. It's pure simpleyummygoodness...

2 cups Flour
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup (two sticks) butter
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
5 TBS flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 TBS lemon rind

In large bowl combine flour and confectioners sugar.Cut in butter until crumbly and press evenly in 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
In small bowl beat eggs and sugar together until light colored.
Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, lemon juice and rind.
While crust is still hot, spread immediately with lemon mixture and continue baking 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown.
Sprinkle with confectioners sugar while still warm.

Enjoy!

Pizza

OK, so this isn't really about pizza, well, it is, but it isn't. I just happened to be flipping through the pictures on my camera and came accross these. They are part of "The Great Sleepover at Aunt Angie's of 2010." I thought I'd post them cuz they're cute and they're eating semi-home made pizza. (Store bought crust)

Rachel had the longest string of cheese EVER! I thought we were going to have to get some scissors...

Hannah was like this ALL NIGHT...the girl is nuts!

Awww...so cute...