Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap/Pecan Crust and Maple Caramel Topping

Photo From Lululu At Home

Lululu At Home posted this to my foodbuzz inbox and NUM! I wish Eric liked pumpkin!

(makes a 9" cake)
Ingredients:
For Crust:
1 cup gingersnap cookie crumb
1/2 cup pecan, processed to crumb/powder
5 tbsp unsalted butter

For Filling:

450g cream cheese, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

For Topping:

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup pecan, roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350F. Grease a 9" spring form pan. Wrap the pan with 2 layers of aluminum foil.

Make the crust by mixing all the crust ingredients together with a fork.

Press the mixture onto the bottom of the spring form pan. Bake crust for 8 mins. Set aside to cool.

Turn down oven temperature to 275F.

Beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg, one at a time. Mix for 2 mins. Pour in pumpkin puree, vanilla and spice. Blend for another 2 mins until well combined.

Pour the filling over the cooled crust. Tap the pan on counter a few times to release all the air in the batter.

Bake in waterbath for an hour, or until the edge of the cheesecake is puffed but the center is still wobbly and wet looking.

Turn off the oven with the door slightly opened, let the cheesecake sit in the oven to cool completely, at least an hour.

Remove from water. Chill for overnight.

To prepare topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the sugar and salt. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium, cooking for 2 mins until it begins to thicken. Stir constantly so it does not boil over or foam too much. Add the maple syrup. Continue to boil for another 2 mins until thickened. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Drizzle the caramel sauce over the cheese. Sprinkle chopped pecan on top, follow by extra sauce.

Golden Moon Tea Preview

In a couple of weeks I will be reviewing Golden Moon Tea, but I figured I would give you a preview of this fantastic company first!
Head on over to Golden Moon Tea and browse their site. They have a great selection of Oolong Tea (the sugar caramel oolong sounds amazing).
Not only do they have oolong teas but they have any tea that you can think of. I am a huge fan of tea so I am very excited for this upcoming review!

Spicy Rice, Bean & Cheese Skillet

This is what's for dinner tonight!

• 1 1/2 cups green bell peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained (I couldn't find them together so I used Old El Paso green chilies.)
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/4 cup water 
• 2 cups Minute Brown Rice, uncooked
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup low fat colby and monterey jack cheese, shredded.
  

Cook and stir green pappers and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, beans and water; mix well. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice.

Reduce heat to medium- low; cover. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro; top with cheese. let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serves 6.

You can add diced cooked chicken if you want meat.


UPDATE 
I have to tell you all, I made this last night and it was disgusting! Just was not my taste at all. It actually made me gag. We had A&W instead.

Wedding Wednesday

This week I am going to talk about my wedding cake! It's going to be a short post, just a few pictures. 

This is basically exactly what I want! I like how every second tier faces the "normal" way. I'm going to have black ribbon as well and instead of white roses I want red. As for the little "dots" that are on the cake, those will not be there. I just want a clean, elegant cake.

This cake shoes how I want the flowers done :) That is the only thing I like about this picture. 

Santa Fe Chicken

1-1/2 cups instant rice, uncooked

1 can  (540 mL/19 fl oz) black beans, rinsed

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 can  (284 mL/10 fl oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 soup can water

1/4 cup  chopped cilantro

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb./ 450 g)

1/2 cup  salsa

1 cup Tex Mex Shredded Cheese 

 

HEAT oven to 400°F.
COMBINE rice, beans and peppers in 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix soup, water and cilantro; pour over rice mixture.
TOP with chicken and salsa.
BAKE 35 min. or until chicken is done (170ºF). Top with cheese; bake 10 min. or until melted.

 

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Roast Beef Dinner Leftovers

Tuesdays - Santa Fe Chicken 

Wednesday - Chicken & Veggie Bake 

Thursday - Spicy Rice, Bean & Cheese Skillet

Friday - Taco Bake
Saturday - Beef Stew 

Sunday - Stuffed Red Peppers

Asian Chicken Cooked in Foil

This just makes my mouth water. Definitely something that I would love. Thank you Natalie's Killer Cuisine for posting this.

3 Chicken Legs
Marinade:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce (I prefer low sodium soy sauce)
3 TBS Hoisin Sauce
2 TBS Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ginger, minced
1 tsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the meat off the chicken legs. You will be able to get one large piece (which you will then be able to cut up in smaller pieces), but then there is more meat that has to be cut off the bone. The pieces should be about the size of your thumb.
2. Put the chicken in a ziplock baggy and pour the marinade directly in the baggy. Seal the bag and use your hands to push the marinade all over the chicken. Let marinate at least 30 minutes.
3. Cut up foil squares that are about 4 inches by 4 inches. Place one piece of chicken in the center of each foil square and fold like a triange, sealing the corners as tight as you can.
4. Place on a baking sheet and turn on your broiler (or grill). You can broil for 4 minutes on each side, or grill for 4 minutes on each side. Let cool 1 minute. Enjoy opening your foil triangles!