Recipe of the Week

Dark Chocolate & Pumpkin Cheesecake

This is the time of year for lots of parties and sometimes it is hard to come up with something new or special. So if you are looking for something impressive and yummy to take to your next get-together? This recipe is a bit of work, but it is guaranteed to be the hit of any party! Be sure to read through the whole recipe before starting so you know what your game plan is before you start, i.e. you will need two springform pans for this one!




Ingredients

CHOCOLATE PECAN COOKIE CRUST
1 c pecan pieces
6 deep dark chocolate fudge cookies (Peppperidge Farms or other type)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
8 oz semisweet chocolate, broken into 2-oz pieces
1/4 Chocolate syrup
3/4 lb cream cheese, softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 ts salt
3 eggs
1 ts pure vanilla extract

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
2 ts unsalted butter, melted
1 lb cream cheese, softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 tb all-purpose flower
1/2 ts salt
3 eggs
1 ts pure vanilla extract
1 c pumpkin puree
1/4 ts ground cinnamon

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Toast the pecan pieces on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, chop the cookies and the pecans until they are in crumbs (to yield 2 cups) about 20-30 seconds. Add in 2 tbls melted butter and blend well. Set aside until needed.

Coat the bottom of a 9-by 3-inch springform pan with melted butter. Use your hands to press l cup of crumbs to a uniform and level thickness on the buttered bottom of the pan. Set aside.
To prepare the chocolate cheesecake, heat l inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium-high heat. Place the semi-sweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler.

Tightly cover the top with film wrap and allow to heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Place 3/4 pound softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on low for l minute and on medium for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium for 2 more minutes and on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add 3 eggs , one at a time, beating on high for 20 seconds and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Then beat the mixture for 1 minute more on high. Add l teaspoon vanilla extract and beat on medium for l5 seconds. Add the melted chocolate mixture, chocolate syrup and then beat on medium for 30 seconds.

Pour the cheese cake mixture into the prepared springform pan, spreading evenly. Keep at room temperature while preparing the pumpkin cheesecake batter.

To prepare the pumpkin cheesecake, coat the inside of a springform pan with l tsp butter. Line the pan with parchment paper. Coat the parchment paper with the remaining tsp butter. Set aside until needed.

Place l pound softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, the flour, and 1/2 tsp salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle . Beat on low for l minute and on medium for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium for 2 more minutes and on high for 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add 3 eggs one at a time, beating on high for 20 seconds and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add l tsp vanilla extract and beat on medium for l5 seconds, then beat for 2 more minutes on high. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, allspice and cloves, then beat on medium for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl for the mixer. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter until it is smooth and thoroughly combined. Pour the pumpkin cheesecake mixture into the prepared springform pan, spreading evenly.

Place a 9 by 1 1/2 inch cake pan partially filled with 4 cups of hot water on the bottom rack of the 300 degree oven (the bottom rack should be at least 3 inches below the center rack). Place both cheesecakes on the center rack of the oven and bake for l hour and l0 minutes, until the internal temperature of the cheesecake fillings reaches l70 degrees. Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecakes to remain in the oven for an additional 20 minutes. (Do not open the door - it will let out all the moisture and cause your cheesecakes to crack.)

Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Refrigerate the chocolate cheescake for l hour, but keep the pumpkin cheesecake at room temperature (do not remove either cake from the pan).

Pour l cup of Semisweet Chocolate Ganache over the top of the chilled chocolate cheesecake. Spread the ganache evenly over the top of the chocolate cheesecake. Remove the pumpkin cheesecake from the springform pan, leaving the bottom on - invert the pumpkin cheesecake onto the layer of ganache. Gently press down on the cake to set in place. Wrap the entire cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours to set.

The cheesecake can now be released from the springform pan. Remove the plastic wrap and insert a knife vertically around the outside edge of the cheesecake. Carefully release and remove the springform pan. Place the cheesecake on a wire rack and pour remaining ganache over the top and smooth it over the sides. Press the remaining cookie/pecan crumbs into the sides of the cake, coating evenly. Remove the bottom of the springform pan and place on serving dish. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

To cut and serve heat the blade of the serrated knife under hot water before cutting, and run it under hot water after making each slice. Place a piece of cheesecake in the center of each plate and serve. Yield: 12 Servings

Recipe of the Week

ALL THINGS HOT CHOCOLATE



It is no secret that I love Chocolate! So I decided that sharing my passion with you is the best gift I can give to you this Christmas. Chocolate is a very diverse and multifaceted epicurean delight. It would be impossible to share all there is to know about chocolate here…I would have to write a book!

So during the season of snow and cold what better way to warm the body and soul than a wonderful cup of hot chocolate or hot cocoa…Yes! There is a difference between the two! Hot cocoa is made of dry ingredients like dry milk and cocoa powder. Hot Chocolate is the real deal…milk and real chocolate. Most people prefer one of the other and it just depends on your taste as to which one you think is better.

I have included here some of my favorite recipes. The first one is my own concoction… the others I have found over the years. I consider them the “best of the best.” All of them are wonderful and worth the effort to try them. I say worth the effort because fine chocolate, like fine wine, is sometimes hard to find and takes a little bit of effort to find really GOOD chocolate. When you find it – it makes all the difference! Today with the use of the internet it is not as hard as it once was. Also, fine chocolate has recently become fashionable; most grocery stores are starting to carry quite an array of them. Every chocolate is different. How it tastes depends on where it is grown. Valrhona (from France) is considered one “the best” chocolates in the world. It is grown exclusively on one cocoa plantation and picked and prepared by hand. If you get your hands on some you will know you have died and gone to chocolate heaven. But if you can’t find this one near you then you might opt for some of the more easily available variety. Scharffen Berger is excellent and available at William-Sonoma. Some others are Amedei, Domori, Pralus and Valrhona to name a few. Try some of them out or find others not mentioned here and you will see what I mean. And for heaven sakes, DO NOT use Hershey’s chocolate unless you just really like it! Be adventurous and try something new! Break out of your comfort zone and you might be amazed at what you find! Enjoy!

Debbie’s Spicy Hot Cocoa Mix
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup high quality cocoa powder*
2 cups powdered milk
1 cup non-dairy creamer
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Allspice
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
Hot water
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water.
Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry. This also works great with warm milk for a richer treat.
* Use Ghirardelli at the least (trust me it makes a difference!) and for an extra treat William-Sonoma carries Valrhona cocoa.


Serendipity Frozen Hot Chocolate
It's famous, it's infamous, it's notorious. It has destroyed diets and led to love affairs. Marriages have been proposed over it, couples have been wed in it, princes have been made from it. People have traveled from all corners of the world for just one sip of our creamy, dreamy, icy blend of chocolaty goodness. It'll make you want to blow bubbles through your straw. It makes everyone a child again.

For years, fans begged and plead and offered firstborn sons for the recipe, but we three princes guarded the formula with our lives. It was such a closely kept secret that not even the White House could gain access to it. Jackie Kennedy once requested the recipe so that it could be served at a gala evening at the While House. I offered to travel to Washington to make it myself, but when my security clearance didn't come through in time, I refused to hand over the secret formula — not even to the First Lady herself!

When customers asked how it was made, we would respond that we had a Rube Goldberg machine churning it out in the back — a hodgepodge of arms, wheels, gears, handles, paddles, and even canaries in cages working in concert to concoct the magic elixir. We would never let on that it was as simple as a blender and some magnificent chocolate.

And now, to thank our customers for fifty great years, we've finally decided to share the secret recipe with the world. For truly authentic Serendipity taste, throw a sprinkle of magic in the mix. For this and all the frozen drinks that follow, the recipe yields one gigantic Serendipity-sized serving, which is perfect for sharing. Enjoy.

6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates
2 teaspoons store bought hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups ice
Whipped cream
Chocolate shavings

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Add the cocoa and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender place the remaining cup of milk, the room temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Enjoy with a spoon or a straw. . . .or both!


White House Hot Cocoa
This was gleaned from whitehouse.gov, "from Mrs. Bush's kitchen"

Ingredients:
6 T. Unsweetened cocoa
6 T. Sugar
Pinch of Salt
2 1/2 cup Milk
2 1/2 cup Light Cream
1/2 t. Vanilla (or more)
Pinch of Cinnamon Powder (optional)
Whipped Cream
Orange Zest

Mix cocoa, salt, and sugar.
Add milk. Heat to dissolve.
Add light cream, cinnamon, vanilla. Heat to just under boiling.
Mix very well and pour into warm mug.
Top with whipped cream, cocoa powder, and fine orange zest.


Chocolat Chaud
(From It Must've Been Something I Ate by Jeffrey Steingarten — adapted from Pierre Hermé)

Ingredients:
• 2-1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup bottled still water
• 1/4 cup (generous) superfine granulated sugar
• 1 100-gm bar (3-1/2 ounces) dark bittersweet chocolate, Scharffen Berger, Valrhona, or Lindt (see note, below), finely sliced with a serrated bread knife
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce or 28 gm) cocoa powder, loosely packed, preferably Valrhona
Instructions:

In a 2-quart saucepan, stir together the milk, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate and the cocoa and bring to a boil again, whisking until the chocolate and cocoa are dissolved and the mixture has thickened. Reduce the heat to very low.
Blend for 5 minutes with an immersion mixer or whirl the hot chocolate in a standard blender for half a minute, until thick and foamy.
Yield: Four 6-ounce cups of hot chocolate.

Note: I [Steingarten] use a dark chocolate containing close to 70 percent cocoa, though Lindt bittersweet also works just fine. The Mayans and the Aztecs considered the froth the best part. Today, five minutes with an immersion mixer or a blender accomplishes what a half hour of beating did long ago.


White Hot Chocolate
Recipe created by Martha Stewart for Oprah Winfrey

Ingredients:
2 cups of heavy cream
6 cups whole milk
12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 block of dark chocolate

Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate into curls; set aside.

Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl; set aside. Place milk and cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around edges of pan (about 4 minutes). Do not boil.

Remove mixture from the flame. Immediately pour over white chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, gently stir to combine.

Whisk in vanilla. Continue whisking until light foam forms.

Serve immediately. Garnish with chocolate shavings or Homemade Marshmallows. Serves 8


Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows
For an extra wonderful treat make your own marshmallows! Yes!...I am serious...just try it!

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 4 packages (1/4 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons red food coloring
• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.
3. Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbleized effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

Recipe of the Week

Thanksgiving Turkey Brine

This is just about the BEST turkey you will ever make! It comes out so moist and flavorful. The gravy is fabulous (it can be on the salty side). Directions for brining is at the bottom of the recipe. Be sure to read the entire recipe days before you plan to cook the turkey so you understand all the steps involved, have all the ingredients and have enough time! This takes some work...but it is sooooo worth it!!!

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries

1/2 tablespoon juniper berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
For roasting:

3-4 cloves garlic cut in half

1 onion cut in half
4 sprigs rosemary

8-10 sprigs of thyme
6 leaves sage

Whole lemon, cut in half

Salt

Pepper
Olive oil

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 -10 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Rub bird skin with garlic cloves and onion, toss inside the cavity. Rub skin with lemon juice and toss the rind into cavity. Chop ½ of the remaining herbs. Loosen skin around the breasts and spread chopped herbs over the breast pieces under the skin. Stuff remaining herbs into bird cavity. Tuck back wings and tie legs together, coat whole bird liberally with olive (or other neutral) oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. (Roast 15 minutes per pound) Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Make gravy from drippings. Carve turkey just before serving.

Poultry Brining 101

The best way to get flavorful poultry, regardless of how it is prepared, is to start with a brine. Brining adds moisture and flavor to poultry and helps to keep it from drying out. A turkey can be a serious investment in time so you want to make sure it is perfect, especially if you're entertaining. Whether you grill, smoke, fry, or roast your turkey, you should use a brined bird.

To properly brine a turkey you need to start the night before you plan to cook. You will need 10 to 12 hours (or more), a container large enough to hold your turkey and enough brine to cover it. You'll also need salt, water, sugar, seasonings, and enough room to refrigerate it. A large stainless steel stock pot or even a 5 gallon clean plastic bucket Whatever container you choose the turkey needs to have enough room to be turned so it should be big. Both Reynolds (Oven Roasting Bag for Turkeys) and Ziploc (XL Storage Bag) make very large food safe sealable bags that are great for brining.

Now let's get to the turkey. The turkey should be cleaned out, completely thawed, and should not be a self-basting or Kosher turkey. Self-basting and Kosher turkeys have a salty stock added that will make your brined turkey too salty. A fresh turkey works best, but a completely thawed, frozen turkey will work just as well.

To make the brine, mix 1 cup of salt in 1 gallon of water. You will need more than 1 gallon of water but that’s the ratio to aim for. One way of telling if you have enough salt in your brine is that a raw egg will float in it. Make sure that the salt is completely dissolved before adding the seasonings you like, making sure not to add anything that contains salt.

Sugar is optional to any brine, but works to counteract the flavor of the salt. While you may choose a brine without sugar, I do recommend that you add sugar (any kind of "sweet" will do) to maintain the flavor of the turkey. Add up to 1 cup of sugar per gallon of brine. Like the salt you need to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved.

Place the turkey in a container and pour in enough brine to completely cover the turkey with an inch or two to spare. You do not want any part of the turkey above the surface of the brine. Now you put the whole thing in the refrigerator. If you are like me, making enough room in the fridge is the hardest part of this project. The turkey should sit in the brine for at least 1 hour per pound of turkey. You can leave the bird in the brine for as much as 24 hours but the amount of moisture the turkey will absorb decreases over time. 10 hours should be the minimum for brining a large turkey. Brining for too long can ruin the flavor and make the turkey too salty. 24 hours should be the maximum amount of time you brine. If you are using a smaller turkey use the hour per pound rule.

Don't have room in the refrigerator? Try a cooler. A cooler big enough to hold your turkey makes a good container for your turkey and brine. The cooler will help keep it cool and allow you to brine your turkey without taking up precious refrigerator space. If the weather is cool, but not freezing you can put the whole thing outside until you need the turkey. If the weather is warm fill a half gallon milk carton with water and freeze it. Place this in the cooler with the turkey and brine and it will hold down the temperature during the brining process.

When you are ready to start cooking your turkey, remove it from the brine and rinse it off thoroughly in the sink with cold water until all traces of salt are off the surface inside and out. Safely discard the brine and cook your turkey as normal. You will notice the second you start to carve your turkey that the brining has helped it retain moisture. The first bite will sell you on brining turkeys forever, and after you've tried this you will want to brine all your poultry.

Recipe of the Week

Pumpkin Dessert
This is a great recipe for those who are not so fond of pumpkin pie. Everyone loves this dessert so give it a try even if you don’t like pumpkin pie!

Crust:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 cube butter (softened)

Empty the contents of the cake mix in a bowl, reserve 1 cup for topping. Cream the egg and butter with the remaining cake mix. Spread mixture evenly across the bottom of a greased 9x13’’ baking dish.

Filling:
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. cloves
Mix all ingredients together and pour over the crust.

Topping:
1 cup reserved cake mix
¼ cup butter (softened)
2 T Sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Cut ingredients with a pastry knife until crumbly and pea sized. Sprinkle on top of filling. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve warm or chilled with a dollop of whipped cream.


Pumpkin Bread
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
5 eggs
1 16 oz. can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 3 oz. packages vanilla pudding mix (regular or instant)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix oil, eggs, and pumpkin. Sift together dry ingredients. Add pumpkin mixture to dry mixture and mix until blended. Pour into greased large loaf pans. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.


Optional Cream Cheese filling:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe of the Week

Spicy Pumpkin Soup


Ingredients

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
3 (15 oz) cans 100 percent pumpkin or 6 cups of chopped roasted pumpkin*
5 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
1 can (15 oz)of coconut milk
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

Method

1 Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add spices and stir for a minute more.

2 Add pumpkin and 5 cups of chicken broth; blend well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

3 Transfer soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Return soup to saucepan.

4 With the soup on low heat, add brown sugar and mix. Slowly add milk while stirring to incorporate. Add cream. Adjust seasonings to taste. If a little too spicy, add more cream to cool it down. You might want to add a teaspoon of salt.

Serve in individual bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream and freshly ground nutmeg.

Serves 8.

*To make pumpkin purée, cut a sugar pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a tin-foil lined baking pan. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use.

Recipe of the Week

APPLE PUDDING DESSERT
This has got to be one of my non-chocolate all time favorite fall desserts! We look forward to fall JUST for this dessert! It is "to die for"...maybe literally - since it is anything but low fat and as Paula Dean would say - "You start with a stick of butter..."

1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, melted - you thought I was joking!
2 cups sugar
4 large apples, peeled and cubed
2 eggs
2 cups flour (measure level cups)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg (grind it fresh if you can)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Batter will be thick. Pour into a 9 X 13 baking dish covered with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Sauce
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan on the stove. Cook over medium heat, bring to a boil and stirring constantly until it becomes thickened. Serve warm sauce over warm pudding slices. Yummmmmm!!!