Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake...doesn't that sound fabulous. I saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen, the new recipe blog started by Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman. It was posted by Cheryl at Cooking, Dunkin Style. If you haven't found Cheryl's blog, you've missed a great cooking blog and I urge you to head over and take a look.

Anyway, today is Friday Delight on Thursday and I sent Superman off with two Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecakes. I didn't taste them, but they looked amazing (and the batter was fabulous, too). This recipe is really quite easy and the pumpkin makes it perfect for fall, don't you think?


Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
from Cheryl at Cooking, Dunkin Style

Ingredients:
· Crust (see Notes below): (I used two graham cracker crusts.)
· 2 cups finely crushed ginger snaps cookies
· 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
· 6 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

· Filling:
· 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
· 1 cup sugar, divided use (I used extra fine sugar)
· 1 tsp vanilla
· 3 large eggs at room temperature
· 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) OR 1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin
· 1 tsp ground cinnamon
· 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
· 1/8 tsp ground cloves

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. (300 degrees F. for a dark springform pan) and position the oven rack in the center of the oven.

For the Crust (see Notes below):

Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, combine cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla until well blended. On low speed, add eggs one at a time, mixing each time just until blended.

Remove 1-1/2 cups of the plain batter and set aside.

To the remaining plain batter, add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Using a large spoon, stir to combine.

Pour 1/2 of pumpkin batter over crust in springform pan. Spoon 1/2 of plain batter over pumpkin layer. Repeat until all batter is used.

Using a long butter knife, gently swirl through all layers of cheesecake batter without disturbing crust to achieve a marbled effect.

Bake for 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Do not overbake. Use a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the crust.

Cool completely on wire rack.

Remove outer pan and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

Notes for Optional Pie Crust: If you don't want to bother with a springform pan, purchase or make two small or one 10-inch oversize graham cracker or gingersnap pie crust shells. Skip the crust part of this recipe above and proceed to the fillings. Divide both fillings equally between the small pie crust shells or use same instructions for large crust and swirl. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 40 minutes for the small crusts and 45 to 50 minutes for the large.

Friday Delight (on Thursday)...

Until Superman's work gets back to normal (keep your fingers crossed that it does, please!), I'll be making Friday Delight for Thursdays. (Confused? That means on Wednesday I'll be cooking for Superman to bring goodies to work for the team meeting on Thursdays, instead of cooking on Thursdays for the team meeting on Fridays. Got it? I know, it is confusing...)


Anyway, this week I made these Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins and they turned out fabulously. I must confess that I made these a week or so ago and whined mightily to my friend Melissa about how they were confusing and didn't turn out well. Ooops. I guess if I'd read the instruction carefully, it would have all made sense. I found this recipe at And Then I do the Dishes, who adapted it from Sweet Savory Southern recipe. (Recipe sharing is so cool and I want to be sure to give credit where credit is due.)

These muffins are really a good breakfast muffin, especially if you leave off the chocolate chips. They have a hearty, robust flavor that would go well with a morning cup of coffee or that glass of juice before you head out the door.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins
(by And then I do the dishes adapted from Sweet Savory Southern)

Makes 16 Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I use powdered buttermilk and just follow the directions on the package)
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup all-purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat flours)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper muffin cups.

In a bowl, soak oats in buttermilk for 15 minutes. Add eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla to the oatmeal. Stir well.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into oat mixture just until moistened.

Fill prepared muffin tin three-fourths full. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, if using. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Simple, aren't they? (And they turn out really well when you follow the instructions!)

Friday Delight - Harvest Pumpkin Brownies

Fall is here (Tuesday was the first day of Autumn, you know) and that means pumpkin goes into our baked goods. I love pumpkin things, so this is a fun time to bake. I got this recipe from my neighbor who made it a few weeks ago and I'm really glad I did. (Look, she forgot to put in the baking powder and baking soda and my kids still gobbled it up!) I made it with all the ingredients and Superman and the kids gave it a two thumbs up. I hope Superman's team likes it, too.

Harvest Pumpkin Brownies
from Mrs. R.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
1 can/16 oz. of pumpkin
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (I did half all-purpose/half whole wheat)
2 cups white sugar
1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
6 tablespoons butter (softened)
3 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions:

For Cake:
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.

In medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix together pumpkin, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well-mixed. Stir in dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour into 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (mine took 30 minutes). Cool.

For Frosting:
Mix together butter, cream cheese, vanilla, milk and salt until smooth. Gradually add confectioner's sugar until you get a creamy consistency. Spread frosting on top of cake and serve.


I think the term "brownie" isn't quite accurate. It seems more like a dense cake to me. You can see just how moist it is from the picture, can't you? Regardless, it is amazing and you'll be glad you made it.

Happy Fall!

Donut Muffins - Friday Delight

After a few weeks of a) forgetting to make something from scratch or b) giving them the same old- same old, I'm sending a new Friday Delight treat to Superman's team tomorrow morning.

This week I tried an awesome recipe from Bread & Honey: A Food Blog. I grabbed this recipe months and months ago, but hadn't tried it until today. I must say I'm glad I held on to it. It is good. I think this will go a long way towards redeeming my reputation in the eyes of those who count on me to make Friday morning meetings with Superman a little less painful.

As always, this recipe is much easier than it looks (I just don't do difficult recipes...my brain doesn't work that way). Also, I made some changes and substitutions based on what I had in my house this evening -- I noted any changes I made.

So, here you go:

Donut Muffins
from Bread & Honey

Ingredients:

For muffins:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk [I only had non-fat]
1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar [I used white]
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature [I used salted]
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs

For topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a standard-size muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg, and whisk to mix them thoroughly. Set aside.

Combine the milk and the vinegar in a measuring cup, and set aside.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or, alternatively, in a large mixing bowl with electric beaters nearby), and beat on medium speed for a few seconds, until the butter is soft and creamy. With the motor running, add the sugar in a steady stream. Continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until the mixture increases in volume and lightens to pale yellow. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until they are just combined.

[For this part, I just kept using my Minnie (that would be Minerva, my Kitchen Aid, to those of you who missed her joyful arrival to our home in February)--no wooden spoon for me.]With a wooden spoon, mix 1/4 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Add 1/3 of the milk mixture. Continue to add the dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dries. Mix until the dough is smooth and well combined, but do not overmix.

Divide the batter between the cups of the muffin tin. Bake until the muffins are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-32 minutes. [Using a 1/4 cup scooper, I made 19 standard-sized muffins.]

When the muffins are cool enough to handle, prepare the topping: melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop, and pour the powdered sugar into a deep bowl. Using a pastry brush and working one muffin at a time, lightly brush the entire outside of the muffin with butter, and then roll it in the powdered sugar. [Instead of using a pastry brush, I just held on to the paper at the base of the muffin, dipped the top of the muffin in the butter, then dipped it into the powdered sugar.] Shake off any excess, and place the finished muffins on a rack or serving platter. Serve.

Friday Delight - Pound Cake (Again!)...this time with Strawberries

Last week I forgot to send a treat with Superman for his Friday morning meeting with his entire team. (I honestly don't know how that happened.) Since that oversight, I've been feeling terribly guilty...even more so when a co-worker of his emailed me and referred to the treats as "Friday Delight" and let me know how much they all look forward to these treats.


This week, I vowed to make it up to them by sending something truly amazing. The big question: what to make, what to make? I settled on this pound cake recipe that I told you about here, but I also decided we'd have to go the whole nine yards, so in addition to the pound cake (which is awesome alone - especially with morning coffee) I'm sending them Strawberry Coulis and Whipped Cream. I think/hope this will be enough to garner some forgiveness, but I know messing with a Friday morning ritual is a touchy thing.

This is the third time I've made the pound cake and I've learned a few things in doing so:

1) My bundt cake pan does not have a hole in the middle because it is a Pampered Chef stone. I've never had a problem cooking with it, but with this recipe, the center doesn't seem to be getting done in the bundt pan because the air can't circulate around and through the entire cake. Switching to a 10-inch tube pan (which I've always called an Angel Food Cake pan) solved the problem.

2) You definitely can't tell by looking at the outside if this cake is done...you need to do the toothpick test at various places on the cake.

3) It doesn't need Strawberry Coulis, but seriously, it is amazing with it.

4) This cake is awesome the next day.



So, what do you think? Do you think I'll be forgiven for missing last week? I hope Superman's team likes it, because I really tried to make it up to them.