Thanksgiving is inching closer and closer as each day passes and I can not wait! It's by far my favorite holiday. For me it's all about family, food and football. The ultimate All-American holiday. Of course, the All-American holiday can't be complete without some pie for dessert. But, what is THE pie for Thanksgiving? There is always an intense debate about which of the holy trinity of pies is THE pie for Thanksgiving. Obviously, the holy trinity of pies include pumpkin, pecan and apple.
Well, I'm not really a pecan fan. I do love pumpkin, but there's still one that has my heart even over pumpkin. Yes it's true. I only have eyes for one pie in my life and that's easily apple. I mean you have apples, cinnamon and brown sugar blanketed in a flaky pie crust. You really can't go wrong with that. If you've never tried a homemade apple pie, now is your chance to check that off your bucket list. We're going to turn you into an apple pie making machine. I know some of you are fearing this, but it's going to be okay...I promise. Some of you are intimidated by the mere thought of making pie at home. I'll tell you the honest truth. It's SO much easier than you think. I guarantee it.
Pound cake gets a bad wrap. There are some crazies out there that think it's bland, dense and not worth the effort. Well crazies, you're dead wrong. Pound cake is SO worth the effort...when done right. What do I mean by "done right?" Well, it's pretty simple. We need a tons of fat in the form of butter, sour cream and cream cheese. Why? Because fat is flavor! This fat also provides moisture to our cake. We need great flavor and I can promise you that is what you get here. There's tanginess from the buttermilk, lemon, cream cheese and sour cream. There's great warm flavors from the molasses, cinnamon and brown sugar. Lastly, we need great texture. For a pound cake, it should be a bit dense, yet still have some lightness and moisture to the cake. We also get wonderful texture from our streusel topping. Trust me pound cake haters, this pound cake is one you'll want to try.
It's my favorite time of the year. Those who know me, know that Fall is my season bar none. Though Fall officially started a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that I've yet to post any Fall-related recipes. Well, that changes today. I'm sharing my version of a beloved fall staple. Cinnamon rolls! Now, there are tons of recipes out there for cinnamon rolls. But, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. If I'm going to make a cinnamon roll, it's going to have to hit all the marks. So, what makes a great cinnamon roll? In my opinion, it should be soft, tall, fluffy, golden, full of flavor, and topped with a delicious glaze. I didn't want to share a cinnamon roll recipe until I feel like I nailed all those points. After much research and testing, I believe I've arrived at the pinnacle of cinnamon roll goodness. I'm happy to share it with you!
Pumpkin is quite controversial. You either love it or hate it. There is no in-between. Well, if you hate pumpkin, then you'll want to hide under a rock for the next few months. Why? Because, it's pumpkin season, that's why! Luckily for me, I love pumpkin. Funny thing is, I used to hate it. True story. It wasn't until I tried a pumpkin pie while in culinary school that I fell in love with it. I've been a convert ever since. If you're a pumpkin lover AND a cheesecake lover like me, then you'll definitely want to try this delicious pumpkin swirl cheesecake. It not only looks beautiful, but the taste is OH MY GOD, out of this world. It's like taking a big bite of Fall. What more can you ask for?
Combine all the crust ingredients together and mix until the crumbs resemble wet sand and it clumps together in your hands when pressed together. Set aside.
Okay, I know you're going to hate me for this, but you'll have to trust me when I say this. Ditch the springform pan. It's really not necessary. I've worked in professional kitchens as a pastry chef in hotels, bakeries and restaurants. Nowhere in any of those kitchens, did I see someone use a springform pan to bake their cheesecakes in. They all had something in common. There was no fancy pan. They all used the trusty old cake pan. That's right...if you have a cake pan, you can make a cheesecake. In my case, I'm using an 8" pan, because I'm feeding myself. You also have the option to use a 10" cake pan which will give you a little bit more room for the batter. Anyway, trust me if you prep a cake pan the right way, you'll get great results. Prepare the cake pan by brushing on the pan grease in a light coating on the bottom and sides. Cover the bottom with a parchment circle and brush the pan grease on top of the parchment circle. Set to the side.
Pour the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Begin to flatten the crust with your hands and then use the bottom of a measuring cup to evenly flatten the crust. Make sure you get the edges. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Set aside and let it cool at room temp.
Begin to smooth the softened cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for a couple of minutes until smooth.
Stop the mixer and scrape. It's important to scrape the bowl and paddle thoroughly throughout this process. We want ensure we get no lumps in the batter. It's also important you don't turn the mixer on above medium low through the process. Also, be aware not to over-mix. The last thing we want to do is incorporate air. Add in the sugar in a steady stream. Mix for a couple minutes on medium low speed. Stop mixer. Scrape really well.
Add in the salt and lemon zest and mix until incorporated. Scrape. Add in the sour cream and mix well for about a minute or so. Stop mixer and scrape well. Add in the lemon juice, mix well for about a minute. Stop the mixer. Scrape well.
Combine the eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs/vanilla mixture into the batter in four stages. Allow the eggs to thoroughly incorporate before adding in the next addition. Stop the mixer. Scrape paddle and bowl really well.
Begin mixing on low speed and add in the heavy cream in a steady stream. Mix to incorporate for about minute or so. Stop mixer and scrape paddle and bowl well.
Pour out 1 ½ cups of batter into a bowl and set aside. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice into the remaining batter in stand mixer all in at once. Mix on low speed for about a minute or so. Stop the mixer and scrape bowl and paddle well.
Pour the pumpkin cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Tap and shake the pan to allow the excess air bubbles to come up.
Use a small measuring cup, I use a ¼ cup measure cup, to pour small amounts of regular cheesecake batter in random patterns over the pumpkin cheesecake batter. Use an offset spatula or knife to swirl. I do an up-down, across and up-down pattern. It creates a wonderful marble look. Tap and shake to remove excess air. Prepare a water bath. The easiest way is to place a large pan with water into the oven. Alternatively, you can place a pan in the oven and pour boiling water into it. The water should come up a ¼ of the way up the sides of the cake pan.
Bake at 350°F for a half-hour, turn the oven down to 325°F and bake for another 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to cook for another 5-10 minutes. It's important to not overcook it. The outer 2"edges should be firmly set. The middle should be jiggly still, but if you touch it with your finger, it shouldn't be a liquid. Your cheesecake may take more or less than an hour to bake. All ovens run at different temperatures. That's why the jiggle test is so important. That's the key to determining doneness.
After it comes out of the oven, let it cool to room temperature. Wrap well with saran wrap and aluminium and place pan in fridge to cool overnight. Make sure saran doesn't touch the surface of the cheesecake.
The next day, to unmold the cheesecake from the pan, dip the bottom of the pan in boiling hot water and leave there for a minute or so. You can also run the bottom over a flame on the stove. My favorite method is using a blowtorch. It's a great investment. Trust me. If you're using a blowtorch, run it all over the sides while turning the pan. Flip the pan over and run it over the bottom of the pan (which should now be the top), constantly moving the flame. Flip it back over and use a cake board covered with parchment and place over the top of the cheesecake. Flip the pan over, the cheesecake should pop right out.
Use another cake board and place on the top (bottom) of the cheesecake. Use it to flip the cheesecake over.
From here, you're done! It's beautiful as is. I like to go the extra mile though and decorate it. I just pipped whipped cream rosettes, sprinkled leftover crust crumbs and white chocolate shavings over the top of the whipped cream. The fun thing is you can decorate as you wish. Get creative!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 10 oz Gingersnap Cookies
- 1 oz Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 3 oz melted unsalted butter
- Cheesecake Batter:
- 1.5 lbs (Three 8 oz packages), Softened Cream Cheese
- 6 oz Granulated Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup sour cream, room temp
- 5 whole eggs, room temp
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream, room temp
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (puree)
Instructions
Crust
In one bowl, combine all your ingredients for the crust and combine until it resembles wets sand and clumps together when pressed between hands. Set aside.
Prep the 8" or 10" cake pan by brushing some of the pan grease all over the bottom and sides of the inside of the pan. Place a parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and brush the top of the parchment paper with the grease.
Dump the crust ingredients into the pan. Pat the crumbs until they reach the sides and are even across the bottom. Use your hands at first to pat the crumbs down, then use the bottom of a measuring cup to pat the crumbs down evenly across the bottom. Make sure the edges are even as well. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Let it cool after baking. Set aside.
Cheesecake
Start by having all your ingredients at room temperature and pre-heat your oven to 350°F.
Mix the cream cheese on low for about a couple of minutes, stopping halfway through to scrape bowl and paddle thoroughly. It should be smooth.
Gradually add in the granulated sugar and mix until sugar is blended in, about 2 minutes after adding all the sugar in. Scrape.
Add in the lemon zest and salt and mix until combined on medium low speed for about a minute. Scrape.
Add in the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Scrape.
Combine the eggs and vanilla in a bowl. Add the eggs/vanilla mixture into the batter in four additions. Let it mix properly before adding the next batch. Scrape well in-between each addition.
Slowly pour in the heavy cream and mix until combined. Scrape.
Add the lemon juice and mix until combined. Scrape.
Set aside 1 ½ cups of the cheesecake batter. Leave the rest in the stand mixer.
Add in the canned pumpkin, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice all at once and mix until combined for a minute or so on medium low speed.
Pour the batter on top of the crust into the prepared crust. Tap and shake pan to release the air bubbles.
Start adding in the regular batter on top of the pumpkin batter using a ¼ cup. Pour in various spots on top.
Use a knife or offset spatula and swirl. Use an up-down movement, across and then up-down again. You should get a beautiful marble look.
Tap and shake to release air bubbles.
Prepare a water bath. Fill a large pan, that you can fit the cake pan in with 5 or more cups of hot water. The water should come up at least ¼ of the way up the sides of the cake pan.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325°F for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and keep the cheesecake in there for about 10 minutes. The key is don't over-bake. Check at the 40 minute mark. The outer edge, 2" out should be firm and set, the center should be jiggly like jello, but if you touch it, not be liquid.
Remove from oven and let it cool to room temp.
Wrap well in saran wrap, making sure the wrap doesn't touch the surface of the cheesecake. Cover the pan in aluminum foil as well.
Refrigerate overnight.
To unmold, run a hot knife around the sides of the cheesecake in one swift motion. Unmold with hot water, stove top or a blowtorch. See the video to see how it's done. Decorate as you please. Use a hot knife and wipe between each cut for a clean slice of cheesecake.
Notes
Use canned pumpkin (puree). NOT pumpkin pie mix. For unmolding, you'll need parchment paper and two cake boards. Hot water, a flame or a blowtorch are options to use for unmolding. You'll need a scale for this recipe. I also recommend a blowtorch for unmolding. Invest in these valuable tools. It's important to keep a cheesecake refrigerated at all times. The waterbath is important to achieve a perfectly baked cheesecake. Don't skip it!
I am alive! No, I don't mean I'm just alive because this is the first post in like a month. I mean I'm alive because it's finally Fall. This is the season I live for. The crisp cool air, the leaves on the ground, college football on my screen, and of course, the flavors of Fall. Cinnamon, apple, pumpkin...you really can't go wrong. For the first recipe of the Fall, I thought I'd share a staple. For me, this is my go-to for an easy, yet elegant dessert. The combination of ease and flavor definitely makes this recipe a winner. The flaky tart with the perfectly cooked warm apples covered in cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. I'm drooling just thinking about it. Don't be intimidated just because it has name French in the title. Trust me, it's very easy to make.
To start, this will not make a full sheet tray worth of tart. If you want that, double the tart dough and apple topping recipe. First, you want to line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Grease with cooking spray.
Make the tart dough out of the pate brisee recipe.
Double the recipe if you want a full shet tray of tart dough. Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least two hours.
Once out of the fridge roll out the dough onto the sheet tray. Lightly flour the rolling pin and the top of the dough. Use your fingers and the rolling pin to roll out into a square. Wrap the sheet tray and let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
While the dough is resting in the fridge, combine the ingredients for the topping and set aside.
At this point, you can start thinly slicing the apples into fans. I used a mix of Gala and Granny Smith apples. You can use any good baking apple. After you finish each apple, you can put the slices in either a lemon water solution or apple juice. Set aside.
Preheat the oven. Take the dough out of the fridge and dock (poke holes) with a fork all over the top of the dough.
Shingle the apples over the top. Work pretty quickly so the apples don't brown. Try to get similar sizes across the top. Sprinkle the topping evenly on top of the apple slices. Dot with butter pieces.
Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the dough and apples are browned. Rotate halfway through while baking. The outer edge may burn, that's normal. While the tart is baking, prepare the apricot topping. Warm the apricot preserve in the microwave for about 45 seconds, mix in the cinnamon and water. Out of the oven, this is what the tart looks like.
You can cut off any edges that burned. Immediately brush on the warmed apricot preserves on top of the apples. Serve warm with powdered sugar, whipped cream or ice cream.
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 1x recipe (pie/pate brisee dough) for tart dough
- 7-8 medium to large-sized baking apples (I used Gala and Granny Smith, but any good baking apple will do)
- Topping:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into little pieces
- Apricot Topping:
- ¼ cup apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups of apple juice or 3 cups of water with 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Prep your baking tray with parchment paper and grease it with cooking spray. Set it aside.
Cut the butter into pieces and set aside.
Make the pie dough (pate brisee) and let it rest in the fridge for two hours.
After two hours, begin to roll out the dough into the sheet tray. Use a small rolling pin and your hands to roll out as thinly and evenly as possible. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
While the dough is in the fridge, combine the topping ingredients and mix until combined. Be sure to break up the lumps. Set aside.
Prep the apples by peeling the apple, cut around the core, cutting into thin slices so you get a "fan" or "shingle" shape. After you cut an apple, place the pieces into the bowl of water/lemon solution or apple juice. Continue to cut the apples and set aside.
Take the dough out of the fridge. Begin to dock the dough with a fork by poking holes all over the top of the dough.
Drain the apples from the juice or water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Shingle the apples tightly across the top of the dough. The ends will be very small, you don't have to use them. Also depending on the variety, the shape will be different for the apples. That's not a problem.
Sprinkle the sugar topping over the top of the apples evenly.
Dot the top with the butter pieces.
Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the apples and dough are golden brown. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.The edge may burn, but that's not a big deal. You can also double the dough, topping and apple recipe to make a full sheet tray worth of apple tart. That may prevent the edge from burning. Either way, you can cut off any burnt edges.
When the tart is almost done, prepare the apricot topping by warming up the apricot for about 45 seconds in the microwave and mix in the cinnamon and water.
Take the tart out of the oven and immediately brush on the warm apricot topping over the top.
Serve warm plain, with powdered sugar, ice cream or whipped cream!
Notes
You can use any good baking apples
If you don't have apricot, you can use any preserves as long as it's not very overpowering.
Double the dough, topping and apple recipe for a full sheet of apple tart.
Serve warm!
Rotate the pan half way through while baking.
If it puffs up too much in one spot, use a paring knife to let the steam out.
Ingredients
- 1x recipe (pie/pate brisee dough) for tart dough
- 7-8 medium to large-sized baking apples (I used Gala and Granny Smith, but any good baking apple will do)
- Topping:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into little pieces
- Apricot Topping:
- ¼ cup apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups of apple juice or 3 cups of water with 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Prep your baking tray with parchment paper and grease it with cooking spray. Set it aside.
Cut the butter into pieces and set aside.
Make the pie dough (pate brisee) and let it rest in the fridge for two hours.
After two hours, begin to roll out the dough into the sheet tray. Use a small rolling pin and your hands to roll out as thinly and evenly as possible. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
While the dough is in the fridge, combine the topping ingredients and mix until combined. Be sure to break up the lumps. Set aside.
Prep the apples by peeling the apple, cut around the core, cutting into thin slices so you get a "fan" or "shingle" shape. After you cut an apple, place the pieces into the bowl of water/lemon solution or apple juice. Continue to cut the apples and set aside.
Take the dough out of the fridge. Begin to dock the dough with a fork by poking holes all over the top of the dough.
Drain the apples from the juice or water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Shingle the apples tightly across the top of the dough. The ends will be very small, you don't have to use them. Also depending on the variety, the shape will be different for the apples. That's not a problem.
Sprinkle the sugar topping over the top of the apples evenly.
Dot the top with the butter pieces.
Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the apples and dough are golden brown. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.The edge may burn, but that's not a big deal. You can also double the dough, topping and apple recipe to make a full sheet tray worth of apple tart. That may prevent the edge from burning. Either way, you can cut off any burnt edges.
When the tart is almost done, prepare the apricot topping by warming up the apricot for about 45 seconds in the microwave and mix in the cinnamon and water.
Take the tart out of the oven and immediately brush on the warm apricot topping over the top.
Serve warm plain, with powdered sugar, ice cream or whipped cream!
Notes
You can use any good baking apples If you don't have apricot, you can use any preserves as long as it's not very overpowering. Double the dough, topping and apple recipe for a full sheet of apple tart. Serve warm! Rotate the pan half way through while baking. If it puffs up too much in one spot, use a paring knife to let the steam out.
Salted caramel sauce is pure bliss. Don't believe me? You will after you taste this then. Caramel sauce is one of those items that many people avoid making at home, because they think it's way too difficult. Well trust me, it's not. If it was, I wouldn't make it either. But who knew, you could elevate something already delicious in it's own right like caramel sauce? Well, salted caramel sauce is caramel multiplied by 100. It is out of this world good. The flavor combination is amazing alone, but dip some chocolate in there and you have your own slice of heaven. I'm seriously not exaggerating here. If you don't think you like caramel, then you need make your own at home. It will turn you to a convert in no time.
Making caramel at home is not difficult, despite what some may have you believe. There are a few keys to success though. First, have all your ingredients at room temperature. Since we're using butter and heavy cream, it's important to make sure these ingredients are at room temp rather than being cold. Cold ingredients plus hot caramel equals a big no-no. Secondly, be prepared! (side note: that's one of my favorite Disney songs.) What I mean by being prepared is having all your ingredients not only measured out all the way, but to also have them all by your saucepan ready to go. I'm talking having everything near you. The pastry brush, whisk, rubber spatula, etc. Everything.You also want to prepare yourself by reading the recipe completely a few times and really understand the process before beginning. Thirdly, wet the sides. This is important step. If you don't wet the sides with your pastry brush throughout the process, you will have a grainy caramel. Consider that your first and only warning!
First, you want to use a heavy-bottom sauce pan and turn on the stove-top to medium heat. Combine the sugar and water in the saucepan. Ensure that the sugar is submerged in the water. Begin to cook the sugar, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
Once the sugar dissolves completely, leave the mixture alone on medium-high heat. Let it cook for anywhere from 5 to 13 minutes. During this cooking period, make sure you don't stir! Leave it alone. You should brush the sides with water from time to time though. This will ensure the sugars on the side won't crystallize and fall in your caramel.
Let it boil until it reaches a golden brown color. Don't take it off too early, even though you'll be tempted. Make sure to look at the bubble's color. Should be a golden brown nearly, instead of the light amber color. It will bubble. Don't worry about that.
Once the color is reached, take it off the heat and immediately drizzle in slowly, the heavy cream, while whisking constantly. This will cause the caramel to bubble, but that's normal. Whisk in the butter in pieces and whisk until fully incorporated. Whisk in the salt and then the vanilla.
Pour the caramel into a different bowl and let it cool slightly. Then move it to your storage container and cover for up to two weeks refrigerated. It will thicken as it cools. Re-heat by microwaving carefully or submerging a heat-proof container full of caramel into simmering water.
Enjoy!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Make sure the sugar is submerged in the water. Over medium heat, stir constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to bubble. Make sure you use a slightly bigger saucepan than what you think you may need. Increase to a medium-high and leave it alone. Don't stir at this point at all. Make sure during this period, you brush the sides with water to ensure the sugar doesn't crystallize. Let the mixture boil until it reaches a nice golden brownish color. The darker the bubbles, the darker your end caramel will be. The lighter they are, the lighter your caramel will be. Once the proper color is achieved, remove from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream slowly. It will bubble up. That's normal. Just go slow and you'll be fine. Add in the butter in pieces and whisk in until fully incorporated. Whisk in the salt and then the vanilla. Pour the caramel sauce into a separate container to cool. It will thicken as it cools. Once cool enough, place in your squeeze bottle or plastic container to store. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Notes
Adjust the salt to taste. What may be salty to me, may not be salty to you. Remember though, this is supposed to be a salted caramel sauce. It's important to keep in mind to not touch this mixture once the sugar has completely dissolved. Let it sit and do it's thing until it reaches an amber color. Slightly darker actually. Also, keep brushing the sides with water throughout the whole process, periodically. Lastly, be careful! Caramel is very hot and if you're not careful, you'll burn yourself. The only way to clean your pan, easily, is to add water to it and to bring it to a boil. That will cook off the remaining caramel in there and it will instantly pour out. Making it much easier to clean.