From Nestle’s Very Best Baking
Remember if you’re looking for that perfect recipe (or looking for a place to hide from the relatives, this week), the library is the perfect place to go. We have cookbooks for every taste bud as well as computers where you can access recipes online. My favorite recipe site is allrecipes.com, but usually if you type in the recipe name in Google, you’ll also receive some hits. If you’re in a huge rush, you can even call us at the reference desk (781-314-3425 X3) and we’ll look up the recipe for you. Unfortunately, we won’t be here tomorrow, but you still have time to do that, today.
In fact a patron calling for a recipe a few years ago led me to my favorite Thanksgiving recipe — pumpkin cheesecake from EmerilLagasse. While perusing on the Good Morning America website trying to find the patron’s recipe, I stumbled across this. Loving pumpkin and pretty much anything that’s unhealthy, I made it and it’s become a Thanksgiving tradition with my family. Here is the recipe, taken from the Good Morning America website:
Pumpkin Cheesecake
• 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs • 1/4 cup finely ground pecans • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted • Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature • 1 ½ cups sugar • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg • 2 large eggs • 2 large egg yolks • One 15-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin purée • ¼ cup heavy cream
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the cracker crumbs, pecans, brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix in the melted butter. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan.
3. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, the remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and the nutmeg in the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and yolks and beat just until blended. Mix in the pumpkin and cream. Spread the batter in the pan, and place it on a baking sheet.
4. Bake until the center is nearly set, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
5. Carefully run a sharp knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Remove the sides of the pan. Cool completely on the rack before covering tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well chilled before serving, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Note: I usually ground the pecans in a food processor and buy those graham cracker crumbs in a box. In the past when I haven’t had either of those things, I’ve put both the pecans and the graham crackers in several plastic bags and hammered them. Make sure you do that where no-one can hear you! I also don’t recommend taking a cholesterol test after eating this!
(Recipe from Good Morning America website. Recipe excerpted from Prime Time Emeril by Emeril Lagasse, c. 2001, William Morrow).
Have a great Thanksgiving! Todd will be posting some more Thanksgiving fun.
posted by Laura