pumpkin cheesecake.

last year, for christmas, i asked for a spring-form pan and i actually got one from my boyfriend! i was so excited. i had so many plans for making all kinds of cheesecake. well, not so much. 

cheesecake is so delicious and i do love it but it is kind of a pain to make. 

not to mention, you can't really eat it right away. like don't even plan on eating it the same day. and to be honest, if i am putting the effort in to baking something, i'm thinking that i'm probably not gonna want to wait twenty fours to eat it. 

maybe that's just me. 

however, i am totally powerless when it comes to pumpkin so when i saw the recipe for a pumpkin cheesecake over at brown eyed baker, i knew i had to try it!

i was a little nervous about baking a cheesecake...i really didn't want it to crack or have air bubbles so i am so thankful this one turned out! 

p.s. i am really, really sorry if you are sick of pumpkin...i promise not to post any more pumpkin recipes for a while!  plus, i have a hard time getting appetizing pictures of anything pumpkin...it drives me crazy!

pumpkin cheesecake + printable version

--recipe from brown eyed baker

crust:
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (i crushed the cookies in my blender)

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
pinch of salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

cheesecake:
32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
4 eggs, at room temperature
2½ tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. double-wrap the bottom and outside of a 9-inch spring-form pan with heavy duty foil. 

in  a large bowl, mix together the crust ingredients and press into the bottom and on the sides of the spring-form pan. bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. remove from oven and cool completely.

bring a large pot of water to a boil to use for a water bath.

in a large bowl or mixer, beat together the cream cheese and the sugars on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about three minutes. add the pumpkin and mix on low until completely fully blended. add the eggs one at a time, beating well until fully incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. next, add the heavy cream and vanilla and beat until well combined, about one minute. lastly, add the cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, cloves and allspice and mix on low to blend.

pour the batter into crust. **tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. 

place the pan into a larger pan and pour the boiling water into the larger pan until it is about halfway up the spring-form pan.

lower oven temperature to 325 F and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the edges are set, but the middle still jiggles a little. keep the cheesecake in the oven for about an hour with the door closed. remove from the oven, remove from water bath, take off foil and place on wire rack to cool completely for about two hours. when completely cool, place in refrigerator for at least six hours or overnight. 

serve with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce, if desired.

leftover cheesecake can be wrapped in plastic wrap for about four days or can be frozen for two months.

pumpkin brownies.

i know i said i wouldn't post another pumpkin recipe for a while. but i have to. i'm sorry. so here it is.

this is one of my favorite pumpkin recipes ever. i could seriously eat the entire pan by myself. please act surprised.

my aunt gave it to me and i have been making it for years now. i think the original recipe came from southern living but i that could be wrong. actually, i am kind of annoyed. i used to have a printed out copy of the recipe and last year i decided to write it down on a recipe card and for some crazy reason, i didn't write the entire recipe down?? like as in the amounts for the cream cheese mixture...so this is my improvised version...and don't worry, it is just a good as the original. i promise.
pumpkin brownies + printable version
--possibly southern living? 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 c brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla, divided
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cloves
3/4 of a small can of pumpkin
----
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 c sugar
1/2 t vanilla (remainder from above)


in a large mixing bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. gradually add brown sugar and beat until well blended - about two minutes. add eggs and 1 tsp of vanilla. beat to blend.

in another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and spices. add to butter mixture and beat until well mixed. 

add pumpkin to mixture and beat until just combined. spread in a flour/greased 8x8 pan. 
----
in another bowl, beat softened cream cheese until light and fluffy. add sugar, egg, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. beat until well combined.

drop this mixture by heaping tablespoons on top of the batter. using a butter knife, gently swirl mixture however you like. 


bake about 20 minutes or until center comes out clean when a toothpick is inserted.


serve with caramel sauce and ice cream, if desired.

**i usually double this recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan but i wanted to try it in a round 8" cake pan...i love the way it looked IN the pan but it was a pain to get out without ruining the cream cheese icing so maybe next time i would make it in my spring-form pan??

yeast rolls.

i try to only post about things that i love. otherwise, what is the point? 

this recipe is definitely my favorite yeast roll recipe to date. i have a ton of others i keep want to try but for some reason, i keep going back to this one. 

it is a super easy recipe, especially for a yeast recipe. i also love that it makes so many. i end up freezing a bunch and when we want hot rolls with dinner, it is so easy to just throw a couple in the oven/microwave.

these rolls are also awesome slathered in honey butter -- if that is your kind of thing. although, i am not sure who's thing that wouldn't be?!

yeast rolls + printable version

--recipe from our best bites

2 c whole milk (if you have to, you can use 2% but no skim!)

1/2 c + 1 T sugar, divided

1/3 c (5 1/3 T) butter

2 t kosher salt  

2 pkgs active dry yeast (4 1/2 t)(try to use bread machine yeast)

2/3 c warm water 

8-9 c flour 

3 eggs, beaten

in a medium saucepan, combine milk, butter, salt, and 1/2 c of sugar. stir over medium heat until butter melts. remove from heat and allow to cool until lukewarm. (make sure you do this step -- i usually pour my butter mixture into another bowl to help speed up the process. you could also rub ice cubes over your pan/put your pan in sink full of ice cubes)

in small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 T of sugar in 2/3 c warm water. let sit for 10 minutes or until yeast has bubbled. 

combine 3 c of flour with milk mixture in a large mixing bowl. beat for 30 seconds on low. make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. pour in yeast mixture and beat for 3 minutes on high. 

beat in 3 eggs. stir in remaining flour one cup at a time. (you may not need all 9 cups) the dough will be very soft - like still sticking to your finger - but will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. it will firm up when it rises. 

place a towel over the top of the bowl and place in a warm spot. let rise for about 1 hour. 

----

spray 2 12x13 glass pans with cooking spray.

punch down down and turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. divide into two pieces. 

roll first portion into a rectangle and cut into 12 equal size pieces. shape each piece into a ball and place in prepared pan. repeat with second portion of dough for the 2nd pan.  

cover each pan with a clean towel and place in a warm place for about 30 minutes. 

to bake the rolls: preheat oven to 375 and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.