It’s that time of year, time for me to dust off my Irish genes—which are mingled with Scottish, a bit of Cherokee Indian, as well as a few others that I’m not sure about—and enjoy a bit of my family heritage. We’ll have some Irish stew, Irish soda bread, and at least one dessert with some of our favorite Irish flavors: Irish cream and Guinness.

I was in my 30s when I had my first taste of Irish cream, and since then it has become a staple in our bar. I’ve tried just about every brand of Irish cream I’ve come across, and my personal favorite is Carolans. Though Baileys still holds the number one spot in terms of worldwide sales, Carolans is the number two seller and costs substantially less. The texture is a little lighter than Baileys, but still very smooth and creamy, and I like the honey flavor in it.

The flavor of the Irish cream is subtle in the cake and a little more pronounced in the glaze, just enough to let you know it’s there but not overwhelming. The pistachios are optional, but I like the spark of green color they add.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

IRISH CREAM POUND CAKE

Makes 1 10-inch tube can or 2 9×5 loaf cakes.

Equipment

stand mixer with paddle attachment
16 cup tube pan or 2 (9×5) loaf pans, greased and floured
medium bowl
small bowl

Ingredients

CAKE
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks/338 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 (8-ounce/226 g) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups (525 g) granulated sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (2.6 ml) Irish cream liqueur or milk (I prefer Carolans Irish Cream, but you can use whatever brand you like.)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (145 g) chopped pistachios

GLAZE
1 cup (130 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon Irish cream liqueur
2 to 3 teaspoons milk

Preparation

1. CAKE: Set oven rack in the middle and preheat oven to 325° F/165° C.

2. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the butter and the cream cheese. Add the sugar a little at a time, mixing on medium speed until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low just until the yolk is no longer visible. Don’t overmix.

4. In the medium bowl, sift together the flour and the salt. Add 1/3 of the flour and salt to the butter mixture and mix on low just until blended. Add the vanilla and 1/2 the Irish cream and mix in, then 1/3 of the flour and mix, the remaining Irish cream, and finally the rest of the flour. Be gentle. Don’t over mix, or the cake will be tough and lose volume. You can also do this part by hand using a spatula to fold in the flour and Irish cream.

5. Gently fold in the pistachios.

6. Pour into the prepared tube/loaf pan(s) and smooth the top of the batter with a spatula. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes depending on the cake pan, using a long bamboo skewer to test doneness. Skewer should come out dry, but may have a few crumbs clinging. Remove from oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on the wire rack.

7. GLAZE: In the small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar and the Irish cream. Add a little milk at a time, adding just enough to make the glaze easy to pour. Drizzle over the cake and allow to rest a few minutes, then serve.

More Recipes to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

More Recipes with Irish Cream From Around the Blogs

Cocktail Hacker – Homemade Irish Cream

Nook & Pantry – Guinness Chocolate Cupcake with Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting

Bake or Break – Irish Cream Brownies

The Hungry Mouse – Oreo & Irish Cream Milkshake

Click the button to save this recipe to your Springpad.

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share

Pomegranates are one of the most festive fruits. The deep red color of the arils captures the eye, and the flavor of the juice is a wonder on its own and is very versatile. Though we’ve enjoyed pomegranate juice for a while, this year marks the very first time we ever purchased pomegranates, and as we munched on the arils we wondered how we ever managed without them.

Pomegranate juice is a perfect addition to cocktails, whether they have alcohol or not. This mocktail is a twist on mojitos with an easy-to-make ginger-habanero syrup and club soda for fizz. The pomegranate arils looks pretty floating in the bubbling cocktail. If you’ve never opened a pomegranate, the Pom Wonderful website has a video demonstration on how to do it easily and neatly.

POMEGRANATE-GINGER-CHILE NOJITO COCKTAIL

Adapted from Food & Wine Cocktails 2008.

Serves 1.

Equipment

glasses (8 ounces or less)
2 saucers
cocktail shaker
muddler

Ingredients

3/4 ounce Ginger-Habanero syrup (recipe below)
1 ounce (30 ml) pomegranate juice + some for rimming glasses
1/2 lime, quartered
8 fresh mint leaves
3 ounces (90 ml) chilled club soda

SIMPLE SYRUP
1 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) water

GINGER-HABANERO SYRUP
6 ounces simple syrup, hot
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 half habanero chile, seeded

Preparation

1. SIMPLE SYRUP: Mix the sugar and water in the sauce pan and bring to a boil. The sugar should dissolve completely. Let cool completely and transfer to a jar or squeeze bottle. Makes about 12 ounces, and will keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

2. GINGER-HABANERO SYRUP: Heat the simple syrup and add the ginger and habanero. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain into an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

3. COCKTAIL: Pour a little pomegranate juice onto a saucer and some sugar onto another saucer. Dip the edge of the glasses into the juice then into the sugar. Add ice and set glasses aside.

4. In the cocktail shaker, muddle the lime wedges, mint leaves, and ginger-habanero syrup. Add 1 ounce of pomegranate juice and ice, then shake well. Strain into the prepared glass and stir in the club soda.

Variations

Use ginger ale and omit the club soda if you can’t make the syrup.

Add some light rum.

Use dry sparkling wine instead of club soda.

More Festive Drinks

More Pomegranate Cocktails From Around the Blogs

White on Rice Couple – Pomegranate Cosmo

Fresh Approach Cooking – Pomegranate, Blueberry & Vodka Cocktail

Lisa Is Cooking – Pomegranate Manhattan

Wasabimon – Pomosa Cocktail

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share

Peppermint and chocolate is one of my all-time flavor combinations, and this hot treat with white hot chocolate, chocolate whipped cream, and minty Altoids is a perfect dessert drink for a cold day. A twist on the classic Hot Peppermint Patty drink, this white hot chocolate cocktail is spiked with brandy, white crème de menthe, and dark rum, making a mug of cheer sure to warm you all over.

Make sure you prepare the chocolate whipped cream ahead so it’s ready to dollop on top of the mugs. If you prefer to skip the alcohol, you can melt minty Altoids in the white hot chocolate instead.

PEPPERMINT PADDY COCKTAIL

Adapted from Food & Wine Cocktails ‘09. Chocolate whipped cream recipe adapted from The Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Berenbaum.

Serves 1.

Equipment

stand mixer with wire whisk attachment (or large mixing bowl + wire whisk)
heatproof mug

Ingredients

4 ounces (120 ml) prepared white hot chocolate (see links to recipes below)
1 ounces (30 ml) brandy
1 ounce (30 ml) white crème de menthe
1/2 ounce (15 ml) dark rum
chocolate whipped cream (recipe below)
Peppermint Altoids, crushed

CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder

Preparation

1. WHIPPED CREAM: In the mixing bowl stir to combine the whipping cream, vanilla extract, sugar, and cocoa powder. Cover and place the mixing bowl and the wire whisk in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to give the chocolate time to dissolve. Remove and beat with chilled wire whisk at least 2 minutes, until you have stiff peaks.

2. COCKTAIL: Stir together the prepared hot chocolate, brandy, crème de menthe, and dark rum in the heatproof mug. Top with dollops of chocolate whipped cream and crushed Peppermint Altoids.

Variation

You can omit the alcohol and melt some Peppermint Altoids with the white hot chocolate.

More Festive Drinks

More White Hot Chocolate From Around the Blogs

Chew on That – White Hot Chocolate

Once Upon a Plate – White Christmas Hot Chocolate

Recipe Girl – White Chocolate and Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share

Passion fruit juice may be tricky to track down in some areas, and I hit every single store we regularly shop at to find some. I finally had to give in and buy passion fruit nectar, a sweetened form of passion fruit juice, but I also had to read the labels because almost every brand I could find had high fructose corn syrup. La Fe brand passion fruit nectar was the only one to use regular sugar.

Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine, usually white or pink, and comes in a range of dryness. The brut cava is extra dry, which works well with the sweetness of the passion fruit juice.

This formula makes one large cocktail, but you can also make two small cocktails, just divide the passion fruit mixture between two champagne flutes and top with brut cava.

PURE PASSION COCKTAIL

Adapted from The Bubbly Bar, by Maria C. Hunt.

Serves 1.

Equipment

wide rimmed glass (or 2 flutes)
cocktail shaker

Ingredients

1/2 cup (88 g) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or more to your liking)
1/2 teaspoon salt
lime wedge
juice of 1/2 lime
2 ounces (60 ml) fresh passion fruit juice or canned
1/2 ounce (15 ml) triple sec (Cointreau or similar)
4 ounces (120 ml) brut cava

Preparation

1. Combine the sugar, chili powder, and salt in a wide flat plastic container. Set aside.

2. Rub the lime wedge around the edge of the glass. Press the rim of the glass into the chili-sugar mix to coat the rim.

3. Combine the lime juice, passion fruit juice, and triple sec in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled, then carefully strain into the prepared glass. Top with the brut cava.

More Festive Drinks

More Cocktails with Passion Fruit From Around the Blogs

Family Style Food – Passion Fruit Caipiroska

Chez Us – Champagne and Passion Fruit Cocktail

[DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of The Bubbly Bar from the publisher.]

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share

As the snow fell and piled up during the now infamous blizzard of December ‘09, I stayed in the kitchen baking cookies and getting ready for Christmas with a mug of hot cider in hand. We like it spiked with spiced rum or cinnamon schnapps with a stick of cinnamon in the mug, but this hot cider cocktail is a variation on the classic sidecar cocktail and has apple brandy and triple sec. The orange flavor from the triple sec works well with the cider and we agreed the cinnamon sugar rimmer is perfect, though we used an orange wedge rather than lime to rim the mug. For a nonalcoholic variation, just add an ounce of orange juice to the hot cider.

CIDER CAR

Adapted from Food & Wine Cocktails ‘09.

Serves 1.

Equipment

heatproof mug

Ingredients

1 orange wedge
cinnamon sugar mixture (on a saucer)
5 ounces hot apple cider
1-1/2 ounces apple brandy (Calvados or other)
1/2 ounce triple sec (Cointreau or other)

Preparation

1. Moisten the top edge of the mug with the orange wedge, then dip the moistened edge into the cinnamon sugar.

2. Add the hot apple cider, apple brandy, and triple sec and stir well. Serve.

Variation

Omit the alcohol and stir in 1 ounce of fresh orange juice.

More Festive Cocktails

More Cider Drinks From Around the Blogs

Elana’s Pantry – Hot Apple Cider

Baking Bites – Caramel Apple Cider

The Paupered Chef – How to Make Hard Apple Cider

Simply Recipes – Hot Mulled Cider

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share

Christmas is past, New Year’s Eve is approaching, and whether you host or attend large parties, intimate gatherings, or stay at home with your loved ones, festive drinks are part of the celebration of the new year. We began taste testing new (to us) cocktails over the weekend and will share some of our favorites this week in preparation for New Year’s Eve.

Citrus fruits are in season, making the Big O a perfect cocktail for holiday parties. Todd Thrasher, sommelier at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, VA, uses many different kinds of oranges and if you can find blood oranges they make a beautiful and festive display in this drink (though we used widely available Valencia). With an orange juice base plus orange vodka, triple sec, and orange bitters, the orange flavors permeate the drink.

The orange bitters were tough to track down, and none of my regular stores carried them. If you can’t find any you can omit them, but the orange bitters add a little spice that lends character to the drink. If you are feeling adventurous and have 25 days, you can even make your own bitters (see links below). There’s even a link to a video demonstration by Thrasher on how to make bitters.

BIG O

Adapted from Food & Wine Cocktails ‘09.

Serves 1.

Equipment

1 quart sauce pan
martini glass, chilled
shaker

Ingredients

ice
2 ounces (60 ml) fresh orange juice
1 ounce (30 ml) simple syrup (recipe below)
1 ounce (30 ml) orange vodka (Stolichnaya Oranj or other)
1/2 ounce (15 ml)  triple sec (Cointreau or other)
large dash orange bitters (Regan’s or Angostura Orange Bitters)
large dash Angostura bitters

SIMPLE SYRUP
1 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) water

Preparation

1. SIMPLE SYRUP: Mix the sugar and water in the sauce pan and bring to a boil. The sugar should dissolve completely. Let cool completely and transfer to a jar or squeeze bottle. Makes about 12 ounces, and will keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

2. COCKTAIL: Fill the cocktail shaker with ice, then add the remaining ingredients. Shake well, then strain into the chilled martini glass.

Make Your Own Bitters

Star Chefs – Todd Thrasher How to Make Bitters Demonstration

Drink Dogma – How to Make Your Own Bitters

About.com Cocktails – Homemade Bitters (orange)

More Festive Drinks

More Orange Cocktails From Around the Blogs

Laylita’s Recipes – Bubbly Blood Orange Cocktail

White on Rice Couple – Blood Orange Cocktail (Midnight Ride)

Wasabimon – Blood Orange Margarita Cocktail

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share

With wide eyes and a booming voice, Top Gun shouted, “Mommy, are you making stones? I love those!”

Our boys adore scones (even if they still can’t say it) and with all the excitement in the kitchen you would think some fabulous dessert was in the works instead of simple gingerbread scones for breakfast. After the scones had cooled a little I arranged them on the plate, leaving one for the boys to share while I quickly took a few photos. The flavor of these is such a delight that there wasn’t a single crumb left after breakfast and Michael asked me to make a double batch next time.

This particular recipe uses some whole wheat flour, making the scones a little more substantial rather than delicate, but that’s a plus for us. They are flavored with molasses, crystallized ginger, and gingerbread spices. The cloves and nutmeg are my addition as I just couldn’t imagine gingerbread scones without them.

The scones are easy enough to whip up on Christmas morning or you can make them the night before. If your house is anything like ours, getting the boys to stop and eat amid a flurry of wrapping paper excitement is almost impossible, but these just might tempt them.

GINGERBREAD SCONES

Adapted from Midwest Living magazine.

Makes 12 scones.

Equipment

food processor
3-quart mixing bowl
large baking sheet, lined with parchment

Ingredients

1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (128 g) whole wheat flour (traditional or white)
1/3 cup (37 g) packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons (57 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup (80 g) golden raisins (or currants)
1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (120 ml) whipping cream
1/4 cup (60 ml) mild-flavored molasses
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon water
granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preparation

1. Place oven rack in the middle and preheat oven to 375° F/190° C.

2. In the bowl of the food processor, add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Pulse a few times. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse about 12 to 15 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour into the mixing bowl and stir in currants and crystallized ginger. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

3. In the small bowl, stir together the egg, whipping cream and molasses, then add all at once to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir until ingredients are combined. (If some flour remains on the bottom, wet your hands slightly and mash it all together, then clean and dry your hands.)

4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently for just a few strokes, then divide dough in half. Lightly pat or roll each dough portion to a 5- to 5-1/2-inch circle, 3/4-inch thick. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Place wedges about 2 inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine egg white and water. Brush tops of scones with egg white mixture and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. (We like the crunchy sugary top.)

5. Bake in the preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until a wood toothpick inserted into a crack in top of scones comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12 scones.

Make Ahead

Cool scones completely and wrap in a single layer in foil, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, remove from freezer bag. Place frozen, foil-wrapped scones in a 300° F/150° C oven and heat for 20 minutes or until warm (12 minutes, if thawed).

More Scones Recipes

More Scones Recipes From Around the Blogs

Farmgirl Fare – Christmas Cranberry Scones

101 Cookbooks – Orange and Oat Scones

Karina’s Kitchen – Pumpkin Scones with Maple Nutmeg Icing

Food Blogga – Date, Fennel, and Pistachio Scones

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share

One of our holiday traditions was dashed this year when we couldn’t find Turkey Hill Eggnog Ice Cream. We always buy eggnog ice cream in December and Michael was quite dejected when I came home without the prize, so I set out to help him recover from his eggnog ice cream funk. I promised him an eggnog gelato and set off to create a recipe.

If you think about it, eggnog ice cream/gelato is truly French vanilla at heart, which is a custard much like real eggnog. I used the French vanilla gelato recipe in Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer as a starting point and then played around a bit, adding more egg yolks, Myers Dark Rum, and nutmeg. Alcohol in ice cream or gelato affects the freezing temperature and has a tendency to keep the frozen product soft and sometimes a little loose, but adding a little cornstarch or arrowroot to the mixture helps the texture. We also pre-freeze the mixture, letting it rest about 30 minutes or so in the freezer before churning, which reduces the churning time. Less churning time means less air is whipped in, and that means the final texture is more like rich gelato.

Michael and I sampled the custard before chilling it and again after churning. We slurped eggnog gelato off the dasher and out of the bowl, not wanting to waste a single drop. Then after a 24-hour freeze time, we scooped some of the gelato into a bowl for a quick photo before resuming the slurping. The flavor of the dark rum comes through very well, but if rum isn’t your favorite and you prefer just a hint of rum in your eggnog, you can reduce the amount.

As with all gelatos, allow it to soften slightly before serving, and don’t forget to give it a dash of fresh grated nutmeg on top, just like a glass of good warm eggnog.

EGGNOG GELATO

Inspired by the French vanilla gelato recipe in Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer.

Makes about 1 quart/1 liter.

Equipment

3-quart saucepan
candy thermometer
whisk
2 nonreactive 3-quart bowls
4 or 5–quart bowl
stick or immersion blender (optional, but helpful)
fine-mesh strainer
ice cream maker (review)
freezer container with lid

Ingredients

1 vanilla bean, cut in half and split down the middle
2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
3/4 cup (131 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
7 large egg yolks
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
2 tablespoons Myers Dark Rum
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg + extra for sprinkling

Preparation

1. Attach the thermometer to the saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the split vanilla bean, then put the bean and its seeds in the bottom of the saucepan. Add the milk and 1/2 cup (100 g) of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer registers 170° F/77° C. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the vanilla bean pod and return the pot to the burner. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the thermometer registers 170° F/77° C.

3. In a 3-quart bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, then whisk in all the egg yolks until the mixture is foamy and slightly thickened.

4. Temper the egg yolks by gradually adding about half of the hot milk mixture, just one ladle at a time, whisking continuously. Whisk the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan and return to the burner. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until the thermometer registers 185° F/85° C. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from heat and insert the immersion blender into the hot liquid. Blend (aka emulsify) until smooth. (Note: You can also use a whisk and vigorously whip the mixture, or use a blender.)

5. Make an ice bath in the large bowl and set the other 3-quart bowl on top. Add the heavy cream, rum, and nutmeg to the bowl and stir. Place a fine-mesh strainer on the rim of the bowl and carefully pour the custard through the strainer. You may need to stir it around and press through. Whisk the mixture together, and stir the custard about every 5 minutes until the mixture is cooled, about 30 minutes. Remove the bowl from the ice bath, dry the bottom, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

6. About 30 minutes before churning, set the bowl in the freezer to get the mixture as cold as possible without starting to freeze. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions for processing.

7. Store the gelato in a plastic container. Press a layer of plastic wrap against the gelato and seal the lid on top. Freeze until fully hardened. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg on top.

More Recipes with Eggnog

More Recipes with Eggnog From Around the Blogs

FatFree Vegan Kitchen – Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake

No Recipes – Warm Eggnog

Culinary Concoctions by Peabody – Hot Eggnog Cake

Baking Bites – Eggnog Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cranberries

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share

Pumpkin cheesecake is one of my favorite holiday desserts and marbling the pumpkin filling with a bourbon vanilla filling takes it over the top for me. The recipe is my riff on the classic pumpkin marble cheesecake from the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cheesecakes book published in 1989. I found a wire bound copy years ago at a yard sale for 50 cents and picked it right up. The recipes aren’t fussy, just simple and good, with a mix of baked and no-bake cheesecakes. I’ve made a number of cheesecakes from the book over the years and we enjoyed them all.

When it comes to baking cheesecakes, I prefer the Philadelphia brand regular cream cheese (also preferred by America’s Test Kitchen) because the flavor and texture are perfect. For baked cheesecakes full fat cream cheese is the best choice unless you use a recipe specifically adapted for low-fat cream cheese, which this recipe is not. For my adaptations, I increased the amount of chopped pecans and butter in the crust, then added bourbon to the vanilla batter and ground ginger to the pumpkin batter. You can skip the bourbon if you really want to, but if you like bourbon it’s worth a try because it pairs nicely with the pumpkin.

You can also make the cheesecake in a square pan and cut mini cheesecake bars and serve them in decorative cupcake papers, which make perfect little holiday party nibbles.

BOURBON PUMPKIN MARBLE CHEESECAKE

Adapted from Cheesecakes.

Makes one 9-inch round cheesecake.

Equipment

food processor (optional)
2 medium mixing bowls
9-inch springform or cheesecake pan
stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer and large bowl)

Ingredients

CHEESECAKE
1-1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs (from about 25 cookies, run through food processor or put in plastic bag and beaten with rolling pin)
1 cup (50 g) finely chopped pecans
1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
2 (8-ounce/226 g) packages regular Philadelphia cream cheese, softened (not light cream cheese)
3/4 cup (131 g) granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons bourbon
1 cup (215 g) canned pumpkin puree (not pre-made pie filling)
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons bourbon
6 tablespoons sifted confectioner’s sugar

Preparation

1. Set the oven rack in the middle and preheat to 350° F/175° C.

2. In the medium mixing bowl, stir together the gingersnap crumbs, chopped pecans, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom and about 1 inch up the side of the springform pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.

3. In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until well blended, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.

4. Set aside 1-1/4 cups of the batter and whisk in the bourbon.

6. Add the pumpkin, 1/4 cup remaining sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to the batter in the medium bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined.

7. Spoon the vanilla and pumpkin fillings over the crust, then use a knife to swirl through it to create the marble effect.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for up to 50 minutes, but start checking after 35 minutes. The center should be slightly wobbly, but the rest of the cake should not move if jiggled. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Run a plastic knife around the edge to loosen it then allow to cool completely. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.

More Holiday Dessert Recipes

More Cheesecake Recipes From Around the Blogs

Nami-Nami – Chocolate Cheesecake

FatFree Vegan Kitchen – Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Bake or Break – Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake

What’s for Lunch Honey – Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share

Making gingerbread houses is a father-son event in our home, with the boys crowded around the table as Michael assembles the house, a task that is not always easy. Some years the walls fall over and we’ve even resorted to using a glue gun to make the walls stand up. Each boy has a mini muffin tin filled with little candies in each cup that they put on the house. Some years the boys cooperate and the effort is pretty organized, but certainly not every year. Someone usually bumps into the house or spills the candy decorations or sticks their fingers where they don’t belong, but in the end that’s all part of the fun. In the past we purchased gingerbread house kits because the boys were very young and we wanted to simplify things a bit, and we weren’t planning to eat it anyway. We figured making our own parts from scratch would come as the boys got a little older.

Last year as we began talking about the annual gingerbread house, we stumbled across a Wilton kit for a gingerbread Christmas tree. After looking it over we thought this would be fun and different. (And if your children are very young, this is an easier project than a house because of the walls-falling thing.) After buying the kit I came across the Wilton Christmas tree cookie cutters on Amazon and immediately ordered them. (Also check your local K-Mart, Michael’s, A.C. Moore, and Jo-Ann’s Fabrics.) Even if we didn’t use them right away we thought they would be useful in coming years.

As it turns out, we were so excited by the prospect of having the cookie cutters that we made three trees: the tree from the kit, a homemade gingerbread tree, and a homemade rice crispy treat tree. We went a little overboard but had a lot of fun doing it. With the cutters you can use whatever kind of cookie you like for the tree. The box comes with a few photos of trees to get your creative juices flowing.

We made a shortened version of the gingerbread tree to save time, so we only made one of each size star, but to get a tall tree you need to make two of each, for 20 stars altogether. The rice crispy treat tree pieces were thicker than the gingerbread pieces, so we chose to make one of each star plus one extra tiny star for the top and still got a nice tall tree.

Of the two homemade trees, the gingerbread tree held up better. If you plan to eat the rice crispy treat tree, you really need to do it on the day it’s made because the pieces dry out quickly. Because we didn’t use any royal icing on this tree, we drove half a chopstick through the middle of the large stars to hold it together.

We use royal icing to decorate because it hardens and stays in place, and it also makes good glue to hold the tree pieces together. The recipe makes a large amount, but you can use the extra for decorating other Christmas cookies (Moravian Christmas Trees, Gingerbread Men) or make a recipe-and-a-half, using half for each color (green, yellow, white). Just remember you need enough for the glue, as well.

We’re sharing our gingerbread Christmas tree with Susan of Food Blogga for her annual festive Christmas cookie event. Each year she gathers links to many beautiful and delicious Christmas cookies from around the world, so you’ll have plenty to choose from. And thank you, Susan, for keeping this fun event going for the past three years.

GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS TREE

Makes one 8-inch x 11-inch tree.

Equipment

See Equipment list for gingerbread men cookies.
Wilton Christmas tree cookie cutters
10-inch cake round, covered with aluminum foil or food safe decorative paper
stand mixer with paddle attachment
decorating tips and plastic bags (2 #16 star, 1 round)

Ingredients

1 recipe gingerbread men dough for 10 stars or 2 recipes for 20 stars (If you have extra you can decorate the extra cookies for the cookie tray.)

ROYAL ICING
16 ounces (454 g) confectioners sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons powdered egg whites  (Check the baking aisle at your grocery store.)
1/3 cup (80 ml) cold water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
green food coloring
yellow food coloring

DECORATIONS
cinnamon imperials (not the heart-shaped)
Jujubes
other as desired

Preparation

1. Prepare one or two batches of gingerbread dough and cut and bake 20 star cookies, 2 of each size, according to the recipe. Allow the cookies to cool completely. (TIP: Make a day or two ahead to spread the project out a bit and save time on assembly day.)

2. ROYAL ICING: In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the sifted confectioners sugar and the egg white powder, stirring to mix.

3. In a measuring cup, stir together the water, lemon juice, and vanilla. (If you want to color the icing, add some liquid coloring at this point. Reduce the amount of water slightly to compensate for the extra liquid.) Pour the mixture into the sugar and mix on low until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, about 1 minute.

4. Increase mixer speed to high and whip for 3 minutes until the icing has stiff peaks. (Repeat for each color you need.)

3. Prepare three piping bags, two with #16 star tips and 1 with a round tip. Fill each with one color.

5. Pipe a blob of icing (any color) in the middle of the foil covered cake round. Place the largest gingerbread star on top of the blob and gently press. Continue adding blobs of icing and stacking the stars, going from the largest to the smallest. Rotate the stars a little as you go so the points don’t overlap.

6. For the top star, pipe some yellow icing on it and add a cinnamon imperial if you wish, then stand it up on a blob of icing on top.

7. Begin piping the green tufts all over the tree. We pipe two or three tufts on each branch, er star point.

8. Pipe white tufts for the snow. We kind of spread those all around.

9. Add Jujubes or cinnamon imperials for the decorations. If the icing has started drying already, you may need to put a dab of wet icing on the bottom of each to make them stick.

14. Allow the tree to rest uncovered for an hour or so to make sure the icing hardens and becomes stiff. And if you have little boys who like to swipe pieces like mine do, you may need to hide the finished tree until Christmas Day.

More Christmas Cookies

More Gingerbread From Around the Blogs

Baking Bites – Gingerbread Men

Elana’s Pantry – Gluten-Free Gingerbread

Kitchen Parade – Chocolate Gingerbread

Enlightened Cooking – Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cookies

Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

Share