Oh, it is so pumpkin time: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Bourbon-Pumpkin Cheesecake is just one of the many reasons I love Emmanuelle. She has perfected this cheesecake and so kindly guided me through the process. So, even though the whole of America is between us, we can still bake a cake together.

This recipe takes some time, but it isn't difficult. And, it definitely has the wow-factor.

First, for the crust, get together your white and brown sugars, pecans, butter, and graham cracker crumbs.
For the graham crackers, I use the mini-food processor attachment that came with my immersion blender. I love this attachment and I use it all the time. So if you are in the market for an immersion blender, spend a little extra and get this attachment.
Mix the ingredients together.
Press that into the pan. You are actually supposed to make it go up the side a little bit, which I totally forgot to do. Then, chill the crust for an hour.
For the filling, get out your ingredients. A few key players:
Whisk together the wet ingredients sans cream cheese.
(That orange! I adore pumpkin season.)

Next, whisk together your dry ingredients. And, yes, of course, there is nutmeg in here.
Add the room temperature cream cheese to the dry ingredients. And, yes, the cream cheese has to be at room temperature for a fluffy cake.
Now, add in the pumpkin mixture. How gorgeous is this color?
Time to pour it into your spring form pan.


Bake it for 50-60 minutes. How do you know when it is done? You apparently should not ask me. I baked it for 50 minutes at exactly 350, only to find out when I cut into it that it hadn't quite set all the way through. It was still delicious, but a little more custard-y in the middle than cheesecake-y. The directions say 'bake until just set'. So, try that.
Leave the oven on, remove the cheesecake to a rack, and make your sour cream topping. Put the topping on the cake and bake it for 5 more minutes.
Remove it to a rack and the baking process is at an end.
Let the cheesecake cool for 3 hours, cover it, and pop it in the frig. For the covering, I prefer foil. I hate hate hate seran wrap, but decided to try it anyways. Big mistake: it stuck to the top. So, I eventually swapped the seran wrap for foil and this worked much better.

When you want to serve it, let it come up to room temperature with the springform on. And then... Time to be brave.
Unspring it. This part went smoothly, surprisingly. Emmanuelle told me to go slow and it worked without a hitch. Now, garnish it with pecans. And, yes, this pattern is also Emmanuelle-inspired.
Lovely! Delicious!
Thank you, Emmanuelle!

Bourbon-Pumpkin Cheesecake (adapted from Emmanuelle and epicurious.com)
Ingredients
For crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (five 4 3/4 by 2 1/4 inch crackers) [1.5x= 7.5 crackers]*
1/2 cup pecans (1 3/4 ounces), finely chopped [1.5x=3/4 cup or 2.6 ounces]
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar [1.5x=1/4 cup 2 Tbs]
1/4 cup granulated sugar [1.5x=1/4 cup 2 Tbs]
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled [1.5x=6 Tbs]

For filling
1 15 oz can pumpkin**
3 large eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoon heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tablespoon bourbon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

For topping:
2 cups sour cream (20 ounces)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon bourbon

Garnish: pecan halves

Directions
To make crust, invert bottom of a 9-inch springorm pan, then lock on side and butter pan. Stir together crumbs, pecans, sugar, and butter in a bowl until combined well. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pan, then chill crust, 1 hour.***

For the filling, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350. Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and bourbon in a bowl until combined. Stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a large bowl. Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour filling into crust, smoothing top, then put springform pan in a shallow baking pan (in case springform pan leaks). Bake until center is just set, 50 to 60 minutes.**** Transfer to rack and cool 5 minutes. Leave oven on.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Whisk together sour cream, sugar, and bourbon in a bowl. Then spread on top of cheesecake and bake 5 minutes.

Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 3 hours.

Chill, covered with foil, until cold, at least 4 hours.***** Bring to room temperature before serving. Remove springform and garnish with pecans.

Can be chilled, covered, up to 2 days.

*Emmanuelle recommends doing 1.5x the crust epicurious.com calls for
** epicurious.com calls for 1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin, but a whole can is 1 3/4 cups, so Emmanuelle says why not use it all?
***For this part, Emmanuelle recommends pouring 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom and patting that down. Then, take the 1/4 remaining and line the edge of the pan with it. I failed to do this.
****I baked it for 50 minutes at exactly 350 degrees. It needed to go longer. I will try 55 minutes next time. Emmenualle says she has never actually overcooked it.
*****Foil is better for covering it than seran wrap, so it doesn't stick to the top of the cheesecake.

It is pumpkin time: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well, fall has arrived here in Riverside, California. Yes, the temperature is finally back in double digits. And even though it is still around 95 degrees, it almost feels like sweater weather.

And nothing says sweater weather and fall like pumpkin. And nothing says pumpkin like pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe is nice if you don't have time to let your butter get up to room temperature, because it just calls for canola oil. (Although, you still need your eggs at room temperature.)

I mixed the dry ingredients first. The cinnamon-ginger-nutmeg-cloves combination is glorious isn't it?
And, as always, I used freshly grated nutmeg because you really can tell a difference. So get yourself some whole nutmeg, break out your microplane grater, and get a-gratin'.
(While the microplane in this picture is a 'spice' grater, you can use your zester grater as well. And if you don't have any microplane at all, get one. It will change your life.)

Once the dry ingredients were mixed, it was time for the wet ingredients. I started by beating my brown sugar and eggs for 2 minutes.
Yes, I timed it.
Next, beat in the pumpkin, vanilla, and oil. I love the pale orange here.
Then, in with the flour, that I stirred until just incorporated.
Now, one of my favorite parts: the chocolate chips. Recently, Cook's Illustrated did a taste test of chocolate chips. And guess what, Nestle Toll-house was actually 'not-recommended'. On the top of their list were Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips. They taste like really good chocolate. Delicious.
So, in went the 'superior' chips.
Once that was just mixed, it was time to put them on the cookie sheet. Now the recipe I used called for either a small ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measure. And, as a good recipe follower, I took out my ice cream scoop and as soon as I put the first mound on the baking sheet I realized these were going to be enormous cookies. But why not have a little celebration? So I carried on.
Into the oven for 15 minutes. And out they came, smelling like fall and looking wonderful.
If you have ever had a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, you know that they aren't really cookie-like. They are more like cake meets pancake meets muffin meets cookie-form. They are wonderful, mind you, but be willing to meet these 'cookies' on their terms.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from joyofbaking.com)
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon (I make it a slightly heaping tsp)
1/2 tsp ground ginger (again, slightly heaping is nice)
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola or corn oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup (215 grams) canned pumpkin puree
1 cup chocolate chips (like Ghiradelli 60% cacao or semi-sweet)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

In a different large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until light and smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin. Add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Using 1/4 cup of batter (use a small ice cream scoop or measuring cup) place small mounds of batter onto prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.**

Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean.** Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 18 cookies.

**If you are making smaller cookies, i.e. normal size cookies, you will want to decrease the baking time. My guess is 10-12 minutes, but that is only a guess.

What a difference cinnamon makes: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

A mini-celebration was in order this Wednesday. In my philosophy PhD program, we have to write a 'qualifying paper' and get a committee to sign off on it. Once this step is accomplished, we are ready to go on to the dissertation phase. On Wednesday, my paper, which includes a foot note thanking Emmanuelle for her help with a translation of French, passed. Clearly, something delicious needed to happen. I decided to bake these oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies.

The key ingredient in these cookies was cinnamon. I followed the Joy of Cooking recipe, but I added some cinnamon to give the cookies the spice of an oatmeal raisin cookie. And what a difference the cinnamon made! It infused the cookies with a warmth that was just delightful. So, lesson learned: when making oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies, don't skip on the cinnamon!

Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Joy of Cooking)
About forty-eight 3-inch cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
3 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a different bowl, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and oats.

Shape the dough into general 1 1/2 inch balls, and place about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten into 1/2 inch disks. Bake 1 sheet at a time, for 12-14 minutes. Let stand briefly and remove to a wire rack.

Note: baking for 13 minutes was just right.

Zucchini Ginger Cupcakes (aka what you do when your father sends you a box full of zucchini in the mail)

My father is a sensational gardener. And harvest time has come in Colorado. So, how do you get rid of extra zucchini? Send them to your daughter in the mail. That's right, the other day the mail man left a box full of summer squash and zucchini from my father's garden on my door step. And this got me thinking, how many different ways can I use 4 pounds of zucchini? My mind immediately went to zucchini bread. But, I wanted something a little jazzier than a loaf. So I thought, how about zucchini muffins? Epicurious saw those muffins and raised them ginger, cupcake, and cream cheese frosting.

I know, I know. Zucchini cupcakes? Zucchini cupcakes? Well, let me tell you, these cupcakes were absolutely wonderful.

The first bite you think, mmm, this frosting is good. The second bite you think, these cupcakes are pretty tasty. The third bite you think, huh is that orange and ginger? With the fourth, fifth, and final bite when you shove the whole cupcake in your mouth, you are too busy being bowled over by deliciousness to think any more. And even after you are done, the ginger sparkles in your mouth, lingering and reminding you of the whole experience.

The cupcakes were no more complicated than quick bread and the icing took 4 minutes. You could also omit the icing (or keep it) and serve it for breakfast.

For the 'dry ingredients', you use both crystallized and ground ginger to give the cupcakes their wonderful spice. For the crystallized ginger, I pulsed it in my mini-food processor, but you could probably mince it very finely with a knife.


Once the crystallized ginger is ready, mix it with the orange zest and other dry ingredients.
(The orange zest is wonderful in this recipe. It brightens all the other flavors).

For the wet ingredients, grate 2 cups of zucchini. The coarse grates add such lovely color and texture to the cupcakes; they are key. I just pressed hard on my box grater and it did the trick.


Mix in the other wet ingredients. A tip from Mark Bittman: use the same measuring cup for the oil and honey, and measure the oil first. This way, the honey doesn't stick to the sides of the cup. Brilliant!

Add the flour mixture. Stir until just incorporated.

Spoon into liners.

I baked them at 350 degrees for 21 minutes, until the cake tester came out clean.
Let them cool for 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack.

While they were cooling, I whipped up this marvelous cream cheese frosting. I used the measurements form the epicurious recipe, but I borrowed the method from Joy of Cooking.

Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.


Once that is blended, add 1/2 cup of sifted confectioner's sugar. Joy of Cooking claims that sifting the confectioner's sugar helps give you smooth icing.

Mix that at high speed for 3 minutes or so, until light and fluffy.

Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, and orange zest.
(The flecks of spice are so very pretty)

As soon as the cupcakes are cool, get the frosting assembly line together and frost! I garnished the cupcakes with just a touch of orange zest.


Zucchini Ginger Cupcakes (adapted from epicurious.com)
Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup (1 3/4 ounces) crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder (which I completely overlooked!)
2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (2 medium)
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup honey
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla

For the cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, measured and then sifted
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated orange zest

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Pulse crystallized ginger in food processor until finely ground. Mix crystallized ginger with flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, orange zest, salt baking soda, and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, whisk the zucchini, olive oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until just incorporated.

Spoon batter into muffin pan. Bake 20-24 minutes until golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean. Let stand in pan for 10 minutes. Remove to rack and cool for an hour before frosting.

(This diverges from the epicuiorus recipe a bit. I used the measurements from the epicurious recipe, but I let the Joy of Cooking be my guide for the technique). For the frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until just incoporated. Add the confectioner's sugar and beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Stir in ginger, cinnamon, and zest.

Frost top of cooled cupcakes and, if you want, garnish with a little orange zest (Ina Garten says she always likes to add a little garnish to clue people into what is inside the dish. And, I always like hints of orange.).

Note: even if you omit the baking powder, don't worry, they come out just fine... Oh the problems of reading recipes on-line...