Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

There isn't much I can say about this cheesecake that isn't already plainly obvious in the pictures. Other than my cracks, but I kinda like my cheesecake cracks. This cheesecake was so delicious and the pumpkin flavor really wasn't all that overbearing, which is fantastic since (confession time) I don't like pumpkin. I made this for Thanksgiving and I was in charge of something pumpkin for dessert. Pumpkin pie is too strong and bland for that matter so I decided to do something rich, creamy, and that would "wow" my husband's family. Wow, it did.

Next time I think I'll try it without the caramel topping (at least on top) since it stuck to everything and I think it would have been a tad bit less rich that way. I'm all for sweets, but I think Ree has a seriously unnatural sweet tooth. ;) Not that that's a bad thing...

Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake
Adapted from: Pioneer Woman
Yields: 1 large cheesecake (12")

For Crust

12 ounces, weight store-bought gingersnaps
½ cup chopped pecans
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 dash salt

Filling

4 x 8 oz packages cream cheese
1 ½ cup sugar
1 can pumpkin puree (15oz) or 1 cup homemade
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 jar (about 12 oz) caramel topping, optional
Extra chopped pecans
Extra crushed gingersnaps

Crush gingersnaps in food processor or a Ziploc bag with a mallet. Add chopped pecans, melted butter, brown sugar, salt and pulse (or mix) until combined well. Mixture should stick together, but barely. Be sure it’s not too soggy. Press into bottom and sides of a greased 12-inch springform pan. Chill in fridge for 20-30 minutes.

While crust is chilling, make the filling by beating cream cheese and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy (this is where a stand mixer is really helpful). Add pumpkin, spices, and mix again. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each one to mix with cream cheese mixture for at least 20 seconds. Add cream and mix until just combined.

Remove crust from fridge and pour ½ jar of caramel topping on crust, if using. NOTE: Reviews on PW website indicate the caramel can harden sometimes, however I used the same brand she did and mine turned out great. Sprinkle caramel with extra chopped pecans. Gently pour the cheesecake mixture into the pan. Even out the top with a spatula.

Bake at 350°F for no less than 1 hour 15 minutes, or until no longer soupy. It should still be somewhat jiggly in the middle though. I baked mine quite a bit longer, but then again the recipe called for a 10-inch pan and mine overflowed.

Cool on the counter for 30 minutes and pour the rest of the caramel topping on top of cheesecake, if using. Smooth out with spatula and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight. It said to cover the cheesecake, but be careful because the caramel sticks to EVERYTHING.

When ready to serve, remove the rim from the pan and slice. Sprinkle with extra crushed gingersnaps, if desired. The best way to slice a cheesecake is with a knife that has been run under hot water for a few seconds on each side. After each slice, clean the knife off with the hot water and slice again. Sounds tedious, but it makes the best (and most beautiful) slices!

Pumpkin Brulee

Usually I turn my nose away from any recipe that has the word "pumpkin" in it. Yeah, I know, it's totally un-American, but I just don't like pumpkin flavor. Well, ever since I made whipped pumpkin dip and pumpkin pie bars, I've opened up to using pumpkin in more recipes. When it comes to crème brulee, I'll try just about any version! I saw this recipe and just had to try it right away! I actually made three different versions and the one below was the best. I tried with and without granola and cane sugar on top. You can always tweak it, but this brulee is an amazing way to bring in the month of October and fall weather!

Pumpkin Brulee

Adapted from: Pillsbury

Yields: 6 servings

6 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

pure cane sugar, for topping

Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 6 (6-oz) ramekins with butter or cooking spray. Place inside of a 13x9-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with wire whisk for 1 minute, or until thickened. Beat in sugar, cream, pumpkin, and spice until mixed well. Divide and pour into the six ramekins.

Pour warm enough warm water to cover the ramekins halfway up the sides. Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes, until set. Carefully remove pan from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove rammekins from pan, dry off and wrap in plastic wrap. Place rammekins in fridge for at least 2 hours to chill.

When ready to serve, sprinkle 1 tsp cane sugar on top of brulee and use small torch to melt sugar. Serve immediately!

Pumpkin Yeast Bread

With all the pumpkin recipes I tried this year (of course, trying to make up for years past with zero), I decided against my better judgement to find a pumpkin bread recipe. I thought my husband would be so happy and even make his sandwiches each day for lunch on them. Nope, didn't happen. We let this loaf sit and sit all week while I procrastinated making apple butter. Unfortunately I only had a few slices, but they were a few slices of heaven. They were good, but I wouldn't make a sandwich with them. I would probably eat them as toast for breakfast slathered with apple butter. Mmm, sounds amazing right?! Well I'll have to give the update on that when I finally do make the apple butter; I'll be sure to make another batch of this bread.

I also halved the recipe to make only one loaf of bread and it came out perfectly. I did slice them a little too thick for my taste so I would suggest slicing about as thick as normal loaves of bread you find at the grocery store. Plus, unless you have a toaster oven, these thicker pieces may not fit well in the toaster. ;) Enjoy!

Pumpkin Yeast Bread

Adapted from: Annie’s Eats, originally King Arthur Flour
Yields: 2 large loaves of bread

½ cup warm water

1½ Tbsp instant yeast

2/3 cup warm milk

2 large eggs

1½ cups pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp vegetable (or canola) oil

½ cup brown sugar

2 tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon*

¼ tsp ground ginger*

¼ tsp ground nutmeg*

dash of ground cloves

6½ cups bread flour (approximately)

* Substitute all these spices if you already have Pumpkin Pie Spice in your pantry, using 1 Tbsp.

In a bowl of a stand mixer (paddle attachment), mix the water and yeast briefly. Add the milk, eggs, pumpkin, oil, brown sugar, salt and spices. Mix briefly to combine. Add 4 cups of the bread flour to the mixture and mix until dough becomes sticky. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Continue to add the remaining flour on low speed a little at a time. You should have a dough that is not sticky anymore and smooth. Transfer dough to a well-oiled mixing bowl and turn it over to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise at room temperature until it is doubled, about 1 hour.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide in half. Shape each piece into a rectangle 9-inches long and 1-inch thick. With the rectangle horizontal, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder left to right. Pinch the seams closed well. Place each dough roll into a well-oiled loaf pan (9x5-inch). Press the loaves down so that they just touch each side of the pan. Cover with a towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes. You can also use an instant-read thermometer (which I don’t have .. yet) until it reads 190° F. The bread should be a little darkened. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Slice thinly (like the thickness of a loaf of bread).

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

I was a little hesitant to originally make these cookies because of the sunken-in appearance of the butterscotch chips. Not that the cookies have to be pretty, but it just made them look kind of hard to make. I was completely shocked by how many cookies this recipe yielded and how fluffy they were. Because of that, you really want to make sure to have plenty of milk for dipping these little lovelies into. This would make a great treat to bring to the family for the holidays and they will be astonished to see that you have found canned pumpkin puree. Too bad they don’t know that you actually made the puree yourself at home. I know that really helped me to try all of my pumpkin recipes this year. Plus if you find pie pumpkins pretty cheap, then that is all it will cost you, besides time.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Adapted from: Annie's Eats, originally Joy the Baker

Yields: 25 cookies

2 cups plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup canola oil (or vegetable)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat on medium-high until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the oil, puree and vanilla. Mix well.

On low speed, add dry mixture into the stand mixer a little at a time. Mix until well incorporated and then fold in the butterscotch chips. Drop the dough balls with a small ice cream scooper onto a silicone-lined baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. Make sure to rotate halfway through the cooking time. When they are done, a toothpick should come out clean from the middle of the cookies. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

The pumpkin taste really didn’t set in until the second day so store these in an airtight container for up to 5 days and enjoy them from the fridge or heated for a brief 10 seconds in the microwave. Don’t forget the milk!

Whipped Pumpkin Dip

I never thought I'd like pumpkin so much. Pumpkin bars, cookies, pies, and more have usually a mediocre taste for me, especially since I'm picky and don't like pumpkin that much yet. This has changed my entire way of cooking and thinking for the fall season. I think I tried so many pumpkin recipes because I wanted to find that one recipe that just knocked my socks off and was to-die-for good. Well, my friends, that search has ended .. with this dip recipe!

I like normal fruit dip but it’s got no flavor and is usually 90% sugar. Although this recipe still isn’t the healthiest, it’s ten times better for you than the store-bought dip. As an added bonus, you will O.M.G. at the taste of it, I promise. I can’t believe I have been refusing to try pumpkin all these years. Thank you to Mrs. Holman for drumming up this recipe and making my fall/pumpkin/dip dreams come true (even if I didn't know I had them)! ;)

Whipped Pumpkin Dip
Adapted from: Homemade by Holman
Yields: about 5-6 cups

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup heavy whipping cream*
3 Tbsp powdered sugar*
Apple slices, grapes and Nilla Wafers, for dipping

Place the bowl of a stand mixer in the freezer, briefly for about 5-10 minutes. In the cold bowl, beat the whipping cream on high speed with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until mixed well.

* If you don’t have a stand mixer at home, omit these two ingredients (and steps) and just buy whipped cream in the container at the store instead.

Meanwhile, in a separate large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add in the puree and spices and blend well. The mixture will be pretty thin at this point. Fold the whipped cream from the stand mixer (or store purchased container) into the bowl with the pumpkin mixture. Mix well to make even throughout. Serve immediately or keep in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

This mixture goes well with apples, grapes and Nilla Wafers.

Pumpkin Seeds

My last pumpkin seed recipe was one of my very first on this blog and it was, to say the least, missing lots of steps and very drab. I wanted to make it as easy as possible to make your own pumpkin seeds at home because it is so easy and I know we'll all have lots of seeds on hand after carving! This recipe was handed down from my grandmother so it's a Kelly's Kitch original.

Once you save the seeds in a separate bowl from the pumpkin pulp, place them in a strainer and rinse well with cold water.

Pour the rinsed seeds onto a cookie sheet lined with either a paper towel or a kitchen towel (kitchen towels work best). Sometimes if you let them dry too long on a paper towel they will begin to stick and nobody wants to eat paper towel with their seeds. ;)

Also note that you might have to flip them once in a while to make sure they get as dry as possible.

Once, on each side, press another towel (paper towel or kitchen towel) on top of the seeds to help the drying process along.

The seeds will stick to it if they are still wet so simply just place them back onto the cookie sheet.

Once dry (about 1-2 hours), mix the seeds in a medium mixing bowl at this ratio:

2 cups seeds

4 tsp peanut oil

1.5 tsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp salt

Lay the coated seeds on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake them at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Halfway through the time, flip the seeds. They will brown and look absolutely delectable when they are done.

Test one after allowing it to cool a few seconds to see if they are nice and crunchy. If they are, allow them to cool on the cookie sheet. If they aren't then continue to cook in 3-4 minute intervals until they are done.

Pumpkin Puree

Apparently there is another shortage of pumpkin puree this year. I am not exactly sure why because I can always find it at the store. Even though I always have extra cans, I am never one to turn away from doing something homemade nowadays. I found these instructions online (thanks to Annie) about how to puree pumpkin and even store it. I couldn't resist! Plus I was shocked to find out that I did it the same last year with one minor (read: major) step missing: the straining. No wonder the pie was watery!

First, you want two (or so) pie pumpkins. These are usually smaller than your jack-o-lanterns and are usually pretty inexpensive.

First you will want to chop the tops off the pumpkins. Even if you have a brand-new knife this and the next step will be difficult to do smoothly.

Then slice the pumpkins right down the midde to cut them in half, vertically.

Using a melon baller (or similar tool), scrape out all the goop (aka pulp) and seeds. Save the seeds for baking!

Place 1/4-inch of water into a deep dish pan and bake the pumpkins, flat side down.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-90 minutes. You will know they are done when you flip them over and can easily poke a fork through the flesh of the pumpkin.

Using the melon baller from before, remove all the pumpkin flesh (not including the skin) and place into a food processor.

Process the pumpkin until it is pureed and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Once pureed, place a mesh sieve lined with a paper towel over a medium mixing bowl. Strain the puree for 1-2 hours and evenly divide into storage containers.

To freeze, place in a freezer-safe container for up to two months. I would suggest also making sure to keep it in one-cup batches so you only have to thaw the amount you need.

If you would like to use the puree soon, refrigerate for up to five days. From these two pumpkins I got 2.5 cups of puree. Not too shabby!

PLEASE NOTE that this recipe is for the canned pumpkin (puree), which is completely different than the pumpkin pie mix (Libby's). I don't have a recipe for Libby's mix, but if you like it and see some in the store, you might want to grab them up since there is another shortage .. apparently. Soon I will be experimenting and posting a pumpkin pie recipe using this homemade pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

As we get closer and closer to Halloween, I see more and more pumpkins everywhere I go. It makes me yearn for carving a pumpkin and baking the seeds. Oh how I love to bake the seeds! I look forward to it every single year. One year I promise to find out how to store and/or harvest them year-round and will share.

Now even though I love the holidays and pumpkin seeds, I really do not like pumpkin pie. Despite that little factoid, my poor husband loves it. Unfortunately for him I don't ever cook it because of my dislike for it. I feel so bad for him but I do know that he gets his pumpkin pie cravings fulfilled at Thanksgiving dinner. And yes, I'm that weirdo that brings her own dessert so she doesn't have to suffer through the pumpkin pie. Well now that you know how much I hate pumpkin pie, this recipe I absolutely love! I am not exactly sure how but I do know that it wouldn't be complete without the butterscotch chips on top or the addition of pecans and oatmeal. I think that is why I can actually eat this dessert even though I can taste the pumpkin.

And on a side note, everyone seems to be having a pumpkin puree shortage in my area but every time I go to the store, they always have a ton of cans. So each year I stock up with 3 or 4 and then never use them. I have quite a few to use up so be ready for another week (at least) of pumpkin recipes. =)

Pumpkin Pie Bars

Adapted from: Annie's Eats, originally Kraft

Makes: 24 bars (fills one 9x13" pan)

For the crust & topping:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

12 Tbsp butter, cold and chopped

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Butterscotch chips, for topping

For the filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13-inch deep pan with foil. Lightly grease the foil.

In a large bowl, combine: flour, sugar and brown sugar. Toss with a fork and add the butter pieces. Blend with pastry blender. Stir in oats and pecans. Set 1 cup of this mixture aside. Add the rest of it to the foil pan and spread evenly and press to make firm. Bake uncovered for 15 mintues.

Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix: cream cheese, sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, spice, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Once crust is done baking, pour filling mixture into pan on top of warm crust. Sprinkle with the 1 cup reserve crust mixture and sprinkle with butterscotch chips. Bake 25 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Slice, once cooled, and serve!

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

I went to the store today to get some white chocolate chips to make some white chocolate macadamia nut cookies later. While there, I happen to look over at the canned pumpkin area and noticed the big empty shelf with canned pumpkin puree was not empty. I got curious and walked over to see what the big difference was between the pumpkin pie mix and the canned pumpkin. I have heard so much about this and how there is a huge shortage of the puree. Yeah, I snagged 4 cans. Might go back later to get 4 more.

So when I got home, I wanted to find the perfect recipe. I had just purchased two huge bags of apples planning on doing several different kinds of recipes. I found an amazing muffin recipe online and just had to make it. I miffed it a bit but it still turned out amazing! So here is "my" version of the muffins.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3-4 tsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease muffin tray.

In a large bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda. In separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture until moist and fold in apples. Spoon batter into muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together last 4 ingredients, adding butter 1 tsp at a time. Spread over Muffins before baking.

Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Apple Pumpkin Chili

Winter. The time for big sweaters, monstrous boots and chili. To me, the most notorious winter dinner is chili. I have been eating my husband's same old chili recipe for years now and although I love him, his chili could use some work. He does the traditional meat, tomatoes, beans, spaghetti, etc. I wanted something different and came across TPOX's blog (a personal favorite of mine) and her Apple Pumpkin Chili looked just amazing!

I made do with what I had and used some of my personal favorites in place of what was on her recipe. I also forgot about the bacon. I think the chili I made was missing something flavorful and the bacon definitely would have added to it so I think next try I will most certainly add it in there.

My husband didn't like the chili. He ate one bowl and said he won't eat any more or the leftovers, which is rare for him. I was so afraid to try it when I got home later this evening, but it smelled so good I didn't care what he thought so I tried it. I really loved it and I think it just all depends on what you like and your acquired taste. I don't like anything pumpkin AT ALL and the pumpkin in this is very subtle and not overbearing. I also couldn't really taste the apple until after eating the chili so I might add another apple next time too.

Edit: After eating a few bowls, I can now say that I will not use coriander for this recipe.. or any other for that matter. What a horrible spice. Blegh! It was too crunchy, especially for chili.

Apple Pumpkin Chili

1 pound ground turkey or chicken
2 cans white beans (Navy & Northern are my personal choices)
1.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, chopped
1 medium shallot, diced
1 granny smith apple, diced
1/2 of a 14oz can of pumpkin puree (1 cup)
2.5 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp dry sage
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp thyme
(optional) equal parts cornstarch & chicken broth for thickening
grated cheese (gouda is quite popular but I used what I had, cheddar & mozzarella)

Combine all ingredients except cheese and thickener in a crockpot, stirring well. Cook on high 4 hours or medium 6 hours. If consistency is not as thick as you would like, add the thickener as needed for a few minutes on high. Top chili with cheese and serve warm.

Pumpkin Seeds

My favorite time of year is fall. I am not to keen on the weather because it's a precursor to blizzards, snow, sleet and 8 layers of clothing. What fall does offer is lots of great seasonal food. Some of the best types of food are squash, pumpkins, etc. I have learned through the years to not waste leftovers, too. Here is a great, easy recipe you can do with your pumpkin seeds with everyday household items.

Also, you can substitute any oil you want to use. I use peanut oil because it's fairly healthy and bakes well. I used some of my leftover spaghetti squash seeds (as an experiment to see if they taste the same .. since they look the same). Yeah, they are just as delicious.

Pumpkin Seeds

4 tsp peanut oil

1 tbsp butter, melted

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 cups seeds

Mix everything in a bowl and bake in the oven on a cookie sheet at 350 (conventional) for 25 minutes. Halfway through, flip the seeds over with a spatula.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie, Trial 1

So for this recipe I used my grandma's cookbook circa 1942. I don't think you can buy this at any Border's. Hopefully old-fashioned recipes are the best.

Cut the pumpkin down the middle with a serrated knife and scoop out the entire middle: seeds and "goop" as I call it. I didn't get it all and after I steamed it, it was really stringy so MAKE SURE YOU SCRAPE IT REALLY GOOD!

Steam the finished product. You can also bake or microwave them. Baking takes the longest. They are done when the skin almost peels off itself. Steaming took about 15 minutes or so. My mixture of the filling ingredients was frothy and more liquidy than I had anticipated but then again I don't like pumpkin pie so I never make it and had no idea what to expect.

Edit: My husband tried this pie the day after I made it. I don't know the best way to store it. Any ideas? Stovetope with or without celophane? In the fridge? Either way the crust was soggy and he said the texture was not right. Ehh I'll do Libby's for now then. =)

Pumpkin Pie:
1/8 t salt
2 t pumpkin spice **
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 2/3 C milk
1 1/2 C mashed cooked pumpkin
1 pastry shell

Sift dry ingredients and stir in eggs. Add milk and pumpkin mixture. Line pie pan with pastry shell and pour in filling. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then turn down to 325 for 35 minutes. NOTE: I turned it up to 350 and still had to bake an extra 40-45 minutes or so. It is done when filling doesn't stick to toothpick.

**Use 1 t cinnamon, 1/4 t nutmeg and 1/2 t ginger for an alternative to pumpkin spice.