a little of each

A family's cookbook

Almost-Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake February 25, 2015

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:37 pm
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Ingredients

12 Tbl unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 3/4 cups sugar
Salt
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 15-oz can pure pumpkin
6 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 Tbl vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
1/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325.

Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter with the crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt and the spices and beat until just combined. Pour into the cooled crust.

Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don’t pull the rack out) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door briefly to let out some heat. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove the springform ring. To finish, place a dollop of the whipped cream on each slice and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.

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Gingerbread-Pear Tart June 2, 2013

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:18 pm
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From “Better Homes and Gardens.”

 

This is a delicious mix of cheesecake and fruit with both pear and raspberry flavors. Take care, and the presentation will be beautiful. I used two large cans of pears, and the results were delicious.

 

Ingredients

2 cups water

½ cup sugar

2 Tbl lemon juice

5 medium pears, peeled, cored and sliced

1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam

½ cup butter, cut up

1 (14.5 oz) package gingerbread mix

1 egg yolk

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

 

Directions

In a large saucepan bring the water, the ½ cup sugar and lemon juice to boiling. Add pears. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in raspberry jam. Cool 1 hour. (If desired, cover and chill up to 6 hours.) Drain.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place gingerbread mix in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into mix until pieces are pea-sized. Stir in egg yolk just until combined. Remove and discard ½ cup of the crumb mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake for 25 minutes and then cool completely.

In a medium bowl beat cheese on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/3 cup sugar; beat until light. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on medium speed until combined. Stir in lemon peel. Spoon about half of the cheese mixture into crust.

Spoon drained pears evenly over cheese mixture. Spoon remaining cheese mixture over pears. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes on rack. Loosen sides of pan. Cover; chill 2 to 24 hours. Remove sides of pan.

 

Lemon Cheesecake Pies

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 2:05 pm
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From Southern Living, February 2006. Makes two pies.

 

Ingredients
2 refrigerated pie crusts
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg

Lemon Chess Pie Filling (below)

 

Directions

Fit each pie crust into a 9-inch pieplate. Line pastry with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove weights and foil. Bake 2 more minutes or until golden brown. Cool crusts completely on wire racks. Beat cream cheese, sugar and egg at low speed with electric mixer until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over both crusts. Spoon Lemon Chess Pie Filling evenly over cream cheese mixture in crusts. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until set, shielding edges to prevent excess browning, if needed. Cool completely on wire racks. Garnish if desired.

 

Lemon Chess Pie Filling:

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

¼ cup butter, melted

¼ cup milk

1 Tbl lemon zest

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tbl all-purpose flour

1 Tbl cornmeal

¼ tsp salt

 

Whisk together all ingredients. Use filling immediately.

 

Christopher’s Birthday Cheesecake

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 2:00 pm
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Made each year by Stephanie’s friend, Jay.

 

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup melted butter

¼ cup sugar

3 blocks (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

16 oz sour cream

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, separated

3 tsp sugar

 

Directions

Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar together. Press against bottom and sides of a nine-inch spring-form pan. Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Continue beating and slowly add one cup sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in one tsp vanilla. Pour over crust. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until set. (Often takes longer!)  Beat sour cream at medium speed for two minutes. Add ½ tsp vanilla and sugar. Continue beating for one minute. Spread over hot cheesecake. Bake at 400 degrees for five minutes. Cool on wire rack. Cover and chill for at least eight hours.

 

Peter’s Cheesecake

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:58 pm
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Peter made this for the first time when Robin hosted a ladies bridge party shortly after moving to St. Petersburg. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s, after attended a baking class at the Disney Institute, that he started to bake in earnest, eventually filling Nana Hazel’s role as Birthday Cake Maker.

 

Ingredients

1 lb cream cheese

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. almond extract

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ pint sour cream

 

Directions

Cream cheese, eggs and sour cream need to be at room temperature. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/8 tsp. salt and almond extract. Beat until thick and lemon-colored. Pour into buttered 9-inch pie pan. Bake in preheated moderate oven (350 degrees) for 25 minutes. Cool on rack for 20 minutes. Mix together sour cream, 1 ½ tsp. sugar, 1/8 tsp. salt and vanilla; blend well. Spread sour cream mixture on cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool and then chill thoroughly.

 

Ida’s Cheesecake #1

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 1:57 pm
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Ingredients

4 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

1 lb cottage cheese

1 lb cream cheese

juice from ½ lemon

2 tsp vanilla

3 Tbl flour

3 Tbl cornstarch

¼ lb melted butter

1 pint sour cream

 

Directions

Beat eggs and gradually add sugar. Continue to add the ingredients in the order listed. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Turn off the oven and leave inside the oven for one hour.