Time is nigh for setting the table and facing that big ole mess we call family…and all that that entails. This seems to be the one holiday when everyone descends on the same day and comes with baggage instead of picnic baskets. But let’s be real – we are indeed so lucky that we can in fact gather, break bread and give thanks. I am hoping the biggest debate your gang faces on Thursday is sweet potato or pumpkin. (I’m looking at you Val – duh, pumpkin!) And my picnic basket this year is loaded with a secret weapon – a dessert that you can make a day or two ahead. Check that box. Move on. Worry about the Beaujolais Nouveau and who will do the dishes. Dessert is mission-accomplished. This pumpkin ginger cheesecake falls smack in the middle of the “consider it done” category. That of course assumes you can keep it safeguarded til after dinner on Thursday. It’s tempting.
Thanksgiving dinner often gets a bad rap for being a brown meal. But I love the vibrant colors of fall squashes, pumpkins and gourds. Use them for table settings, roast them for a side or salad, make a quick bread, or whip them up in a dessert.
Cheesecakes are pretty flawless desserts to prepare even if you haven’t made them before, as long as you follow a few simple tips. They are super sturdy, so you don’t need a deft hand. I would argue quite the opposite. You really don’t want to be dainty with the batter – don’t incorporate lots of air, do bang the pan, get aggressive. Be bold. If you follow my instructions and read the accompanying notes, you will be a star performer – dare I say, a pastry chef. Start with your ingredients at room temperature, use a good quality springform, and use a food processor, not a mixer. A processor will combine the ingredients without incorporating air which will cause the cheesecake to puff and fall, leaving a crater in the center. Allow all the time needed for cooling to room temperature and then refrigerating. It takes time, but not active time. And know that if all else fails – craters or cracks – you will be slathering a cream topping on and that can cover a multitude of mistakes. Yes, indeed. You are definitely a pastry chef.
This pumpkin ginger cheesecake is surprisingly light, yet creamy. The nutty crust has that I want more-ish quality! And, a dose of Gentleman Jack Daniels keeps the party rolling.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup melted butter
Filling:
15 ounce can pumpkin puree
24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
5 ounces Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
Topping:
1 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Crust:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine flour, brown sugar, pecans, and melted butter and mix until crumbs adhere. Press into a 9 or 10″ sturdy nonstick springform pan and bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove and cool. Wrap pan in heavy duty foil. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
Make the Filling:
In food processor, puree pumpkin until smooth. Add cream cheese and puree until smooth. Add Gentleman Jack, sugar, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg and pulse until mixed. Add eggs and pulse 2 – 3 times only until just combined. Do not overprocess.
Pour filling into cooled crust and bang pan on the counter to eliminate extra air. Place in a roasting pan and fill with hot water, halfway up the side of the springform. Bake for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours or until set. It may still be a bit wobbly in the center, but it will firm up as it cools.
Turn oven off and leave the cheesecake in the water bath in the oven for 30 minutes more. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, and carefully remove the springform from the water. Remove foil and cool on wire rack until room temperature. Refrigerate until fully chilled.
Make the Topping:
Combine sour cream, Gentleman Jack, and powdered sugar and spread on top of cheesecake. Refrigerate until set.
Gently run a knife or thin metal spatula around inside edge of pan. When cheesecake has released, open outer pan ring and remove.
Notes
Feel free to substitute a dark Rum or Bourbon if you prefer.
Well Ho Ho Ho and a Jingle Bells to you!! Don’t you have something better to do today than read my blog? I’m flashing back to last year’s ornament post with a few updates because where else will you find all this fantastic holiday-ness before it goes back in the closet for another year. (That’s pretty much a lie because I really just finished my tree, so it will probably be up for most of the next month). Sigh. I’ll miss my little friends. I didn’t grow up with a Christmas tradition of food ornaments, but I’m pretty sure it’s only because we were separated at birth. We just go together. Like ham & swiss, sushi & wasabi, or bacon & eggs. Dare I say, this is the most extensive collection of food ornaments on this planet. I am nothing if not thorough.
If you haven’t been following my Facebook posts, this is the fourth year of my 25 Days of Christmas (ornaments). Everyone always asks if “this is a new one?” They are all new ones, people. No repeats in the four years!!! However today – one time deal – I am offering up a curated collection for your review – the best of 2013, 14, 15 and 16 – plus if you make it through to the end, a couple of new and never-before-seen specials. Can you spot the new ones? If so, please comment. Let me know you are paying attention!
To kick it off – how about a little breakfast – Eggs B? Waffles? Sunnyside up??
With a side of bacon – extra crispy please!
Still hungry? Would you like fries with that?
Or how about some sushi?
Feeling thirsty?? I know I am. Always! Straight up with olives, please.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh dinner time. I’m a Hoosier at heart – steak and spuds for me.
Personally I’d like to go back to the “straight up with olives” course, but for those of you with a sweet tooth, here you go.
Feeling snack-ish – Pizza? Pigs? Tacos?
Around here, the ice cream stand doubles as the Christmas tree stand – triple scoop with a side of Fraser fir? No problem!
And before we go, here are my personal favorites…..TV Dinner (who thought of that? Genius!!), Lasagna, and Corn Dog (a salute to Naomi Judd whose corndogs I once prepped for the Letterman show).
And lastly for that late night fridge raid – Santa, I’m talking to you – PB&J and a deviled egg. No accounting for taste!!
Wishing you and yours a very merry. And a big heartfelt thanks for being a loyal reader. I will be right back here in early January. Don’t forget to eat your black eyed peas (Sunday) and wear your red knickers (Saturday night) for the best of luck in the new year.
I’ll be back reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaalll soon! XO
Nothing screams holidays like cranberries, citrus and spice. Mulled wine, orange pomanders (that’s fancy talk for oranges poked full of cloves), and cranberry garlands. So imagine my delight when the good people from the healthy living site Mambo Sprouts shot me a box of the finest spices to review. Squealing! I like to make edible gifts for the holidays – are you with me? We really don’t need one more thing to dust or store. But devour? Hells yeah! Last year I made cheese wafers and put them in a nice little cracker dish (okay, one more thing to store).
This year I have on my radar some spice blends and chutney. What’s that you say? Chutney is weird? No, no. Ain’t so. Yes. You are right. But only if you are referring to the more traditional, pungent (read: medicinal tasting) versions that are fortified with mustard oil and strong vinegar. This Anglo spin balances its tarts with equal measure sweets (sugar, dried cranberries and candied ginger), and the acid from kumquats (unlike strong vinegar) borders on sweet. It’s practically dessert, wink wink. It can be the perfect foil to too-rich-double-crème brie or the right amount of sweetness to tangy goat cheese. One chutney can do both! Spicy (think turmeric, allspice and cinnamon), zippy (crystallized ginger), tart (kumquats and crans) and sweet (yeah, there’s some sugar – but not as much, by half, of what you would normally see.)
Palate. Passion. Purpose.
You already know I’m all about this, right? But I have met my match in partnering with Frontier Co-op. A purpose-driven company, Frontier’s theme is Cook with Purpose. Every bottle contains products with a story and the label tells that story. Frontier, as one of the earliest to advocate organics, firmly believes that social responsibility is the foundation for great products and that sustainable agriculture and ethical sourcing yield quality. Since their 1976 Iowa founding (in a river cabin!), they have worked with growers worldwide to build a safe food supply. A large part of that is education and they have created charitable funds (three to be exact) that train farmers and co-ops on how to protect themselves and the environment. The turmeric, sourced in Sri Lanka, was produced by a co-op that benefited from a Frontier grant which enabled an organic training center for the farmers. The cinnamon is Vietnamese. Frontier provided its producers with educational supplies, beds, room & board so the children in these remote communities can be educated. Worldwide, producers are blessed by the generosity of Frontier providing so many basics, ranging from clean water to roads to medical care. Frontier is on a mission – responsibility to people and planet. And btw interesting timing…our paths crossing now. I’m a month away from joining the board of CWS, a global agency with key initiatives in sustainability, hunger, development, and advocacy, among other important work. #fullcircle Frontier had me at Purpose!
Spicing It Up!
Armed with my box of Frontier Co-op goodies, and knowing it’s the time of year when warm spices soothe the soul, I decided to dose this chutney with Vietnamese cinnamon, turmeric, and allspice. The great thing about warm spices is they can flow from sweet to savory, and in fact this chutney does a bit of both. I spent some time a few years ago in southern India and learned more about Ayurvedic cooking. (I also learned a thing or two – first hand – about Ayurvedic massage. Ever have a massage by two people with a whole lotta oil and choreographed moves? Inner-resting! But, that’s for another post.)
A word…or two…about the star ingredients – the spices!
Quality cinnamon is different from supermarket cinnamon (generally cassia) due to its super high oil content, a result of specific harvesting techniques. This Vietnamese (fka Saigon) cinnamon has at least a 5% oil content, which makes it more than double the regular stuff. That results in an abundance of flavor, but especially the pungent, sweet and spicy notes. It also means a little bit goes a long way. The difference in color compared with supermarket brands is remarkable.
You may remember that Buddha Bowl post with fresh turmeric from the winter. While it’s lovely to source fresh ingredients, chances are that rhizome has been on the road a while. If you want real flavor, reach for a quality dried spice. Often called Indian saffron, turmeric – a member of the ginger family – not only gives curry its bright golden color, but it also adds a pepperiness that makes it a regular in Asian cuisine.
And our old friend allspice – I just used it in that yummy pumpkin chia pudding recipe. While it seemingly combines cinnamon + clove + nutmeg and has a very big name, it’s just a single spice and it hails from Jamaica. No doubt you have seen it as an essential ingredient in jerk chicken. It is in fact the unripe berry of a small evergreen. How very Christmasy!
Spiced Cranberry Ginger Kumquat Chutney adds just the sass your Thanksgiving or other wintery meal needs. Jewel-like in color, this chutney not only delivers a sweet-tart-spicy contrast to turkey and mashed potatoes, but it also saves a very beige meal from being oh-so-brown.
In a medium non-reactive saucepan, combine the cranberries, kumquats, sugar, applesauce, and lemon juice. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the cranberries begin to pop, about 5 minutes.
Add the dried cranberries, crystallized ginger, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Continue simmering until the fruit is softened and the chutney is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes more.
Remove from heat and let cool completely. Refrigerate, covered, and serve at room temperature.
Notes
Serving Suggestions: This is great with roast meats, slathered on a sammie, or served alongside or atop cheeses. If you warm it up, it will thin a bit and it makes the best glaze for your Christmas ham.
Substitutions: For kumquats: use the zest of one medium orange and chop the flesh coarsely, pith removed. For applesauce: chop one apple, any variety.
This post contains affiliate links.
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Category:condiments
Method:stovetop
Cuisine:American
Keywords: cranberry chutney, ginger
Serving and Giving Notes
The chutney can be made up to 1 week in advance, and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. It will easily last several weeks, but I’m just not going to tell you to prepare it weeks ahead. Scraping the last bit out of the bottom of the jar 3 weeks in? Well, that’s a different story. By all means!
If you are making this to give as a gift, make sure to sterilize the jars (glass only, please), and let your giftee know this has not been canned, needs to be refrigerated, and is for current consumption.
Well Ho Ho Ho and a Jingle Bells to you!! Don’t you have something better to do today than read my blog? But where else will you find all this fantastic holiday-ness about to go back in the closet for another year. Sigh. I’ll miss my little friends. I didn’t grow up with food ornaments, but I’m pretty sure it’s only because we were separated at birth. We just go together.
If you haven’t been following my Facebook posts, this is the third year of my 25 Days of Christmas (ornaments). Everyone always asks if “this is a new one?” They are all new ones, people. No repeats in the three years!!! However today – one time deal – I am offering up a curated collection for your review – the best of 2013, 14 and 15 – plus if you make it through to the end, a couple of new and never-before-seen specials. Can you spot the new ones? If so, please comment. Let me know you are paying attention!
To kick it off – how about a little breakfast – Eggs B? Waffles? Sunnyside up??
With a side of bacon – extra crispy please!
Still hungry? Would you like fries with that?
Or how about some sushi?
Feeling thirsty?? I know I am. Always! Straight up with olives, please.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh dinner time. I’m a Hoosier at heart – steak and spuds for me.
Personally I’d like to go back to the “straight up with olives” course, but for those of you with a sweet tooth, here you go.
Feeling snack-ish – Pizza? Pigs? Tacos?
Around here, the ice cream stand doubles as the Christmas tree stand – triple scoop with a side of Fraser fir? No problem!
And before we go, here are my personal favorites…..TV Dinner (who thought of that? Genius!!), Lasagna (new this year), and Corn Dog (a salute to Naomi Judd whose corndogs I once prepped for the Letterman show).
And lastly for that late night fridge raid – Santa, I’m talking to you – PB&J and a deviled egg. No accounting for taste!!
Wishing you and yours a very merry. And a big heartfelt thanks for being a loyal reader. I’m off to Argentina for a couple days and will be right back here in early January. Don’t forget to eat your black eyed peas (Friday) and wear your red knickers (Thursday night) for the best of luck in the new year. I’ll be back reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaalll soon! XO
