Pumpkin Cheesecake

After my disappointment with the apple fritters, I felt a need to redeem myself. I was ready to bake something that I had more confidence would at least be edible. 

I have baked with pumpkin in the past and have also made many successful cheesecakes, so I figured that a pumpkin cheesecake was probably a safe bet.  My main goal for this cheesecake was to try a few techniques with hopes of yielding a crack-free cheesecake. This is something I have not previously had much luck with here in Colorado.   

To start, I made a simple graham cracker and walnut crust for my autumn-themed cheesecake.

When it came to mixing the ingredients for the filling, I did not follow the JOC’s directions. Irma suggests that you beat the dry ingredients and the cream cheese together, and then add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, lastly adding the pumpkin to the mixture.   

I added all of the ingredients at the same time and then blended well with a whisk. This method worked very well. I think that it would be equally as easy to mix all of the ingredients at the same time if you were to use an electric mixer for this step. 

The JOC suggests using a water bath to help the cake cook more evenly and retain its moisture. I did take the advice on this step and it worked beautifully! I am a water bath convert and will probably never bake another cheesecake in Colorado without one.

For a successful water bath, you should use a large pan that is at least 2 or 3 inches larger than your spring form pan on all sides and at least an inch and a half deep. After pouring the batter into the crust, you wrap the bottom of your spring form pan with foil to keep the water from seeping into your cake. You may even use two layers, just in case. Check your foil for cuts or holes. 

Once the oven is preheated, place the large pan in the oven, with your spring form in the middle of it. Boil a large amount of water and then carefully pour the water into the larger pan, until it is about an inch deep. Be careful not to slosh the water when pushing the oven rack back into the oven.

*The JOC also suggests that you add a pan of water to the oven while it is pre-heating to add moisture to the oven.

Here is the full recipe, relatively quick and easy. I highly recommend it! Try it for yourself.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Crust:

1 ½ cups of fine graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup of finely chopped walnuts

¼ cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice mix (equal mixture of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger)

6 tablespoons of melted butter

Mix all of the ingredients together and then press into a 9 inch spring form pan.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

Filling:

Combine the following ingredients and mix until well blended:

2/3 cup of brown sugar

2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice mix

1 pound (two 8oz packages) of cream cheese (softened)

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup of canned or cooked pumpkin

Pour the filling into the crust and prepare the water bath as I described above.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes; reduce the heat to 325°F and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. (until the middle of the cake still juggle slightly when tapped)

Remove from the oven and water bath. Let cool completely. (at least an hour)

Once the cake has completely cooled, cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Using the water bath helped the cheesecake cook much more evenly than I have previously experienced. The texture of the cake was very smooth and much less dense than I am used to. No cracks either! I was very pleased with the result-a beautiful, rich, and tasty fall dessert!  If you want to add a little extra something to your pumpkin cheesecake, I would suggest garnishing with toasted walnuts or whipped cream.    

Enjoy!

Thanks again to Orin for the awesome photos!

Apple Fritters

Last week’s kitchen project didn’t involve any actual baking, but it was a true learning experience for me. I decided to take advantage of the in-season apples and try something totally different.



I was sure that apple fritters would be a challenge and I was not wrong in this assumption. I think it is safe to say that they were a real flop! I had fun though, and learned quite a lot in the process.

After a lengthy study of the instructions and recipe, I realized that making the apple fritters was going to involve a few unique culinary techniques including: whipping egg whites, folding egg whites into a delicate batter, and *gasp* deep frying. Maneuvering the egg whites and batter turned out to be the easy part. Attempting to deep fry over a gas stove was not so simple.

I began by marinating the apples in a mixture of cinnamon and chardonnay.  This flavor combination was excellent!

The batter is pretty basic to mix prior to adding the egg whites.  

The simplest way to separate an egg is to crack the shell in half on the edge of a bowl, then carefully transfer the yoke back and forth between the two shell halves, allowing the egg white to drop into a cup or bowl below.

You then use a whisk to quickly beat air into the whites. When whisking by hand, it may take a while. 

You want to whisk until the whites start to form “stiff peaks”.

Here is a picture of what “stiff peaks” look like.

To “fold” the whites into the batter, you want to scrape the whites into the bowl containing the batter and use a spoon or spatula to gently lift the batter over the whites from the edges of the bowl. You do not want to use the same circular motion you use to mix most batters.

Once the batter is complete, it is supposed to rest in the refrigerator prior to frying the fritters.

I would highly recommend using a designated deep fryer with a built in thermometer and temperature regulator if you want to try this at home. I found it very difficult to keep the oil a consistent temperature over the stove. I tried to use a thermometer to keep track of the oil temperature, but my oil got too hot and did not cook my fritters evenly. What resulted were fritters that looked almost overdone on the outside, but still contained raw dough on the inside.

I’ll pass on my adapted recipe for those brave souls who would like to experiment with deep frying pastries on their own. Much luck to you!

Autumn Apple Fritters

Marinade 2 cups of apples (cut into ¼ to ½ inch pieces and sprinkled with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon) in 1 cup of chardonnay.

Whisk together the following dry ingredients until well blended:

½ cup of all purpose flour

½ cup of whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder

¼ teaspoon of salt

Add the following wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth:

2/3 cup of milk

1 egg yoke

1 tablespoon of melted butter

¼ cup of chardonnay

-Beat 2 egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently fold into the batter as described above

-Cover the batter let rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

-Remove the batter from the fridge and gently beat until it is smooth.

-Drain the apples and dry on a towel. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Add the apples to the batter.

Heat vegetable oil to 365°F

Prior to frying, you will want to dip your large serving spoon in the oil. Coating the spoon helps the batter not stick to your spoon as much.

Carefully spoon approximately ½ cup of the batter and apple mixture at a time into the oil.


Let cook for about a minute and a half on each side. Use extreme caution when turning the fritters so that you do not splash hot oil.  


After a total of 3 minutes, the fritters should be a golden brown and should be cooked all the way through.


Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the oil and place on a surface lined with paper towels. 


Only cook one or two fritters at a time. This helps the oil stay at a more consistent temperature. Carefully monitor the oil temperature. Let the fritter cool completely and check to make sure that they are cooked thoroughly before eating. You can sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of them before eating as well.

Although my finished product was not a success, the experience was a good one that taught me a lot and made me laugh at the same time. I look forward to another attempt…just as soon as I can borrow someone’s deep fryer!

Thank you Orin for your lovely photos, your help, and encouragement. Thanks for actually eating a few of the fritters as well!

  

Zucchini Bread

This week I went with a tasty, seasonal treat that is really quick and easy. Like most fruit and veggie “breads”, zucchini bread is actually much more like cake than bread. You don’t add yeast and the mixture is much more a batter than it is a dough. So, it really is as simple as mixing up all of the ingredients, pouring into a pan, and baking.

You start by mixing your dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients into a separate bowl. Once again, I used half white flour and half wheat flour.



For me, the fun part of making zucchini bread is grating the zucchini. I think it is a combination of the oddity and the texture of the zucchini in comparison to most things often grated.



The recipe in the JOC calls for pecans or walnuts, but I chose to add a mixture of pecans, walnuts, and almonds to my batter.

Here is my modified recipe so that you can try it for yourself.

Zucchini Bread

Preheat your oven to 350°F
Grease a 9-5 inch loaf pan.

Stir together the dry ingredients:
1 ½ cup of all purpose or wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

In a separate bowl, stir together the “wet” ingredients:
¾ cup of sugar or brown sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
½ cup of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla
½ teaspoon of salt

Combine the contents of both bowls into one. Stir well, the batter will be thick at this point.





Add 2 cups of grated zucchini. (You will want to squeeze some of the excess moisture out of the zucchini first.)



Stir in 1 ½ cups of chopped nuts (pecan, walnuts, almonds, or any combo of the three)



Spread the batter into the greased loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until the loaf starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.



Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. This recipe yields a yummy and moist bread that will crumble and fall apart as you cut it. Enjoy!

Thank you, Orin, for capturing beautiful images of my baking experience!

Pita Bread

Pita bread was one of the first items I added to my wishlist of things to make for the blog, so I was excited to finally give it a try. The simplicity of pita was appealing to me. I have all of the ingredients needed on hand almost all of the time, how convenient!



One of the things I have been excited about doing with this blog is learning to bake things that most people wouldn’t ordinarily try at home, foods that we normally tend to just pick up at the grocery. I am quickly learning that so many of these types of food items are actually very simple and relatively easy to bake in your own kitchen. This latest project was one such experience.

So, what is it that makes pita different from other bread? The pocket! I have learned that the key to making pita with a nice pocket is a very hot oven and baking surface that stays consistently hot throughout the baking process. The JOC suggests using the bottom side of a baking sheet or a baking stone for your baking surface. My baking stone is currently in storage, so my only option was to use the bottom side of a large pizza pan.



Since Orin and I are both big fans of pita, I decided to make a double recipe. I was about to head out of town for work and thought that it would be a nice alternative for my lunches on-the-go. I used half bread flour and half wheat flour for my pita. According to the JOC, all wheat flour can be used, but you will need to increase the amount of water you add to the dough mixture to keep the consistency softer.

Of the doughs I have created and worked with so far, I think that the pita dough has been one of the most successful. The dough was very “alive” and had excellent consistency. It rose very well and was easy (and fun) to handle.



Here are some more detailed directions so that you can make your own pita. I enjoy it with hummus and fresh cucumber slices. Pita can also be eaten with falafel or as the flatbread to any deli-type sandwich.

Pita Bread

Combine the following dry ingredients in a large bowl:
3 cups of bread flour (or wheat flour)
1 ½ Tablespoons of Active Dry Yeast
1 ½ Tablespoons of sugar
1 ½ Teaspoons of salt



Add the following wet ingredients to the mixture above:
2 Tablespoons of melted butter
1 ¼ cup of room temperature (72-75⁰F) water

Stir until the dough is formed, then transfer to a kneading surface.



Knead the dough for 10 minutes, adding small amounts of water or flour if needed. The dough should be moist and tacky, but not sticky. To knead, press with the heel of your hand, rotate the dough, fold it over itself, and then press down again with the heel of your hand.



When finished kneading, place in an oiled bowl, turn over once to coat with oil and then cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until it has doubled in size.



While the dough is rising, you will want to place your baking surface on the bottom rack of your oven and begin preheating the oven to 475⁰F.

Once the dough has risen, punch down and knead just until it no longer contains air bubbles.



Divide the dough into 8 equally-sized pieces and roll each piece into a dough ball.





Place the dough balls on a lightly floured surface and cover. Let rest for 20 minutes.



When the dough balls are done resting, you will want to roll each one into an 8-inch round (approximately 1/8 inch thick) on a floured surface.





Once the oven is preheated, you can add as many rounds as will fit onto your baking surface and bake at 475⁰ for 3 minutes. Remove from the oven after 3 minutes and let cool completely. Continue baking each set of rounds for 3 minutes each. Ideally, the pita will “pop” and look like a balloon before you remove it from the oven. This “pop” is what creates the pocket in the pita. Only a few of my rounds actually “popped”. I think that my oven cooled too much between each batch of baking. I would suggest waiting a few minutes between each batch to let your oven reheat itself and closely monitor the temperature throughout the baking process.



I think that the half and half mixture of bread flour and wheat flour was a nice one. Although most of my pita didn’t “pop”, they still had a great texture and flavor. An overall success!



Thank you Orin for the amazing photos!

Soft Pretzels

Pretzels are a yummy snack that I have enjoyed ever since I was a child. I have fond memories of visiting my grandma and great grandma in Ohio and making special trips to a small, local pretzel bakery. The bakery specialized in hard pretzels that lasted weeks. Bags of these crunchy, salty snacks were ever-present throughout my childhood. My grandma kept us constantly stocked for as long as I can remember. An in person visit to the bakery was very special though, because it meant that we could get a big, fresh, soft pretzel to eat right then. The thought of making my own fresh pretzels has often gone through my mind as I have begun to bake more at home. While making my wish list for the blog, pretzels were one of the first projects to be added to the list. I have been waiting for just the right opportunity to make them. Soft pretzels need to be eaten within a day or so of being baked and I needed an occasion where I could share them with a group. Game night at a friend’s house seemed like the perfect opportunity, so I went for it.



I knew that pretzels were similar to bagels, since they are boiled before being baked, but I still didn’t know what made the distinctive flavor and shiny golden brown appearance. Now I know that it is a combination of melted butter in the dough mixture and oiling the dough while rising that makes them unique from other breads.

Similar to most other dough, you start the process by dissolving yeast in warm water. I have had problems in the past with achieving the right water temperature. If the water is too hot, then you will kill the yeast and your dough won’t rise. If the water is not warm enough, it will not activate the yeast and your dough won’t rise. The optimal temperature to activate yeast is somewhere between 105° and 115°F. I decided to start using a digital thermometer to more accurately measure my water temperatures for mixing dough. It takes a lot fo the guess work out of dough mixing and has worked really well.



Here is a slightly revised version of the recipe I used from the JOC. I would highly recommend trying them for yourself!

-Combine in a large bowl and let dissolve:
½ cup of warm water (105°-115°F)
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) of active dry yeast

-Add: 1 ¼ cups of all purpose flour
1 ¼ cups of bread flour
2 tablespoons of melted butter
1 tablespoon of sugar
½ teaspoon of salt

-mix by hand (or in a mixer) while adding an additional ½ cup of warm water (105°-115°F)

-Stir well, adding up to ¼ cup of each type of flour additional if needed. The dough should be moist but not sticky. Transfer to a kneading surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. I found that the texture was very similar to that of the bagel dough after kneading.



-Place the dough in a bowl that has been lightly oiled with either vegetable to olive oil.

-Turn the dough over in the bowl a few times to coat the dough with a light layer of the oil.



-Lightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place (75°-80°F) for at least an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

-Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide equally into 12 parts. Roll each section of dough into a ball, place on an un-floured work surface, loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let set for about 10 minutes. Grease a large baking sheet.



-Roll each section of dough into a long snake. (about 18 inches) Forming the pretzels takes a little bit of practice. I will try to describe the process, but you really will just have to work with it a few times to figure it out. Lift the dough in front of you, holding one end in each hand, twist the dough around itself, a few inches from each end, then fold over and press the ends into the looped part of the dough.



-Place each pretzel on the greased baking sheet, spaced well. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for about 35 minutes.



-Preheat the oven to 450°F and boil a large pot of water.

-Once the pretzels have risen, boil each one for about 30 seconds on each side, until they are “puffy”.



-Remove from the water and place back onto the greased baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with coarse kosher salt.



-Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

-Remove from the oven and let cool for just a few minutes.



*I made the mistake of trying to remove them from the baking sheet too early and ended up tearing the bottom layer off of a few pretzels. They don’t need to be cooled completely, but waiting until they are no longer hot will enable you to remove them from the baking sheet without tearing them apart. *

You will want to keep these in an airtight container and eat them within a day or so. If you don’t eat them fresh out of the oven, reheating in the oven for a few minutes will soften them up. We enjoyed some dipped in melted cheese, some with mustard, and others simply plain and salted.



For Dad, Grandma Pat, and my Great Grandma Grether.