Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake

If I was going to be the chef for Thanksgiving dinner this year, this cheesecake would be on the menu. Forget the traditional pumpkin pie. From the almond crust to the espresso powder in the cheesecake, this turned out beautifully and tasted ambrosial. Simple to make too, as most cheesecakes are. It's probably considered an "adult" cheesecake, what with the espresso addition, but I bet my grandkids would love it too.
The finishing touches Heather suggests for garnishing make for a pretty presentation, but feel free to do your own thing. It'll be a smash hit at your Thanksgiving dinner, cheesecake lovers or not. Everyone loves a latte, right? 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake
From Sprinkle Bakes

Ingredients for the crust: 
2/3 cup all purpose flour 
2/3 cup sliced almonds 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
3 tablespoon sugar 
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Ingredients for the filling: 
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 
3/4 cup granulated sugar 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
3 large eggs 
1 cup pumpkin (canned is fine) 
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon 
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 
3 teaspoons espresso powder

For garnishing: 
Powdered sugar 
Whipped cream 
Cinnamon 
Cinnamon sticks

Method for the crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease well.
In a food processor, place all ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Method for the cheesecake:

In a mixer, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract and eggs. Beat in pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and espresso powder until smooth. Pour mixture on top of baked crust.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until filling is set. The center should wiggle slightly...the cheesecake will continue to bake a bit after it's removed from the oven. Allow to cool completely to room temperature in pan before chilling in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

If you'd like to decorate with powdered sugar: when cheesecake is cool and the top is dry, lay strips of wax paper across the surface on the cheesecake in even stripes. Sift powdered sugar over the top to form a thin layer. Remove wax paper strips carefully. Place whipped cream on the center of the cheesecake, sprinkle with cinnamon, and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Stuffed Zucchini

Here's another side I often served to my family on Thanksgiving. I like this one because you can make it in the morning and hold it on the counter until you are ready to bake. No last minute fussing here, although it's quite a simple recipe and doesn't take all that long to make. Once again, I haven't a clue where I found this recipe. 

Usually one sees zucchini stuffed with meat, tomatoes and all sorts of things. This is the only recipe I've seen with shiitake and hazelnuts. If you don't have Panko, make your own bread crumbs...so easy in a processor....and you can use any number of cheeses. Just depends on what you have. It's a nice vegetarian option for your holiday table.

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients:

6 zucchini, scrubbed and trimmed

3 garlic cloves,  minced

2 shallots, sliced thinly

1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut in smallish pieces, no stems

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and ground

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (sometimes I use fresh thyme, sometimes both)

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup panko

1 cup grated gruyere or your favorite cheese....not cheddar, please.

Method:

Halve zucchini and scoop out pulp, leaving 1/2 inch shells. I use a melon baller to take out the pulp. Chop pulp rather finely. Cook garlic, shallots, mushrooms and hazelnuts for 4 minutes. Add zucchini pulp and oregano and/or thyme. Cook 7 minutes. Let cool for 10  minutes and stir in panko, salt and pepper to taste. 

Place filling in shells and top with gruyere. Bake in a 400 oven for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is melted, it's hot throughout and a little brown.

Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust

Are you mulling over lists for holiday dinners yet? My biggest quandary has always been side dishes...veggies or potatoes...finding something a little different. My family demands mashed potatoes, so year after year they grace the table. Any inventiveness and adventure rested with vegetables or sweet potato dishes; they didn't mind variety there, just as long as I didn't mess with their turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. 
Now that everyone's older, when I'm doing the cooking at Thanksgiving, I don't even necessarily make a whole turkey, but try things like Ina's stuffed turkey breast  or the Two Fat Ladies chicken. Anything goes. 
For potato-type sides, Ina's Rosemary Roasted Potatoes  were a big hit one year but this year you really must try this gem of a recipe I found recently: Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust. There is a double crust with rosemary and Gruyere stuffed in between. Very unusual. While the bottom photo looks like this gratin has an overabundance of crust, you can see by the first photo there's not as much crust as you would expect.
Let me sum it up: pretty layers of potatoes, cheesy and delicious. Go ahead, make it for your family...they'll love it. 

Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust
From Southern Living, December 2010

Ingredients:

1   (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated pie crusts  
1 tablespoon  chopped fresh rosemary  
1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper  
2 cups  (8 oz.) shredded Gruyère cheese, divided  
1 1/2 pounds  Yukon gold potatoes  
1 1/2 pounds  sweet potatoes  
1 teaspoon  kosher salt  
2/3 cup  heavy cream  
1   garlic clove, minced  
  Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs  

Method: 
Preheat oven to 450°. 
Unroll pie crusts on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle rosemary, pepper, and 1/2 cup cheese over 1 pie crust; top with remaining pie crust. Roll into a 13-inch circle. Press on bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan; fold edges under. Chill.
Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice Yukon gold and sweet potatoes. I used a mandolin to get thin, even slices.
Layer one-third each of Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, and salt in prepared crust. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice, pressing layers down slightly to fit.

Microwave cream and garlic in a 1-cup microwave-safe measuring cup at HIGH 45 seconds; pour over potato layers in pan. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. I was afraid it would leak, so I covered a baking sheet with foil and then placed the springform pan on top. Then cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Bake at 450° for 1 hour. (Yes, that says 450) Uncover and bake 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are done and crust is brown. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully transfer to a serving plate, and remove sides of pan. If desired, carefully slide gratin off bottom of pan using a long knife or narrow spatula. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.