The Thanksgiving holiday is over, and now it is time to concentrate on Christmas. My mama and I went on our annual Christmas shopping trip to Jackson a few days before Black Friday. I would rather pay more and fight less! I do love a bargain, but not that early in the morning, and I don’t really want to end up in the emergency room after fighting over a big-screen television.
Every year, Mama and I start early from my house and head to the capital city. I give her a copy of everyone’s wish list, and she begins to plot and plan what her gifts will be. We take that list and begin our strategy of what stores we need to go to and the purchases to be made there. When my son was younger, we always made Toy’s R Us our first stop. As he got older, we didn’t need to go there. Now that we have another generation in our family, off we go again.
Mama and I always have a terrific time together, whether we are shopping, cooking or just spending time together. My sister from San Francisco will be here before Christmas, and we will have our family celebration on Dec. 15. My side of the family has to be prepared for Christmas 10 days early!
Leila Rose’s list this year has a myriad of items. She is quite versatile in her interests. Her list included Disney princess stuff, another book about alligators, a chef’s hat (chip off the old block), cupcakes and a yo-yo. Mama and I both wondered about the yo-yo, but she is getting a pink one that lights up!
With a 3-year-old in the family, I know we will have a rip roarin’ great Christmas. She is already excited about Santa Claus and ready to put the tree up. She will come over soon and help me put my Dickens Village in the dining room. That should be interesting. We are both pretty hard headed about where things should be set up on the table. I am pretty sure I know who will place things just the way she wants them, and it won’t be me!
This month, I will be including recipes to help you with your holiday foods. Today, I will begin with desserts — everybody’s favorite! I have never met a cheesecake I didn’t like. Thanks for reading.
CREME BRULEE CHEESECAKE
Crust:
2 cups firmly packed vanilla wafer crumbs
1/3 cup of sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
1½ cups plus ¼ cup of sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, combine crumbs, 1/3 cup of sugar, melted butter and egg white, stirring well to combine.
Press firmly on bottom and up sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and ½ cup of sugar with mixer until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. Add flour until combined. Stir in sour cream. Spoon batter into prepared crust. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes. Turn oven off. Leave in oven with door closed for 4 hours. Remove cheesecake from oven. Gently run a knife around the edge of pan to release sides. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.
Evenly sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of sugar on top of cheesecake. Caramelize sugar with kitchen torch or run under oven broiler until sugar is melted. Remove sides of pan to serve.
PUMPKIN PRALINE CHEESECAKE
20 shortbread cookies
6 tablespoons melted butter
4 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
1½ cup of light brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
1½ teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For crust, process cookies to fine crumbs. Add melted butter. Press mixture into a 9-inch springform pan on bottom and an inch up the sides. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
For cheesecake, beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until smooth. Add flour, spices, vanilla, salt, eggs and pumpkin. beat for three minutes or until blended. Pour mixture into crust, and bake for 50 minutes. Then, turn off oven, and in for an hour. Remove, cool on wire rack and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Praline topping:
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
2/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
In a saucepan over low heat, blend sugar and corn syrup. Add pecans and lightly brown. Add caramel and simmer until thickened. Pour over cheesecake. Chill and serve with whipped cream.
EGG NOG CHEESECAKE WITH BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
1 cup eggnog
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoon bourbon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine melted butter, crumbs, 1/3 cup of sugar and cinnamon, and press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Using a mixer, beat together cream cheese and a cup sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in eggnog, vanilla and bourbon. Pour mixture into pre-baked pie crust in pan. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until sides are lightly puffed (center will be soft). Turn oven off, and leave in oven for an hour. Cool completely on wire rack. Cover and chill for at least four hours or overnight. Serve each slice with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream.
BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
In a large bowl, beat cream at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add powered sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in bourbon and cinnamon. Use immediately.
nWhen cheesecakes are cooled slowly in the oven, it ensures a smooth flat surface with no cracks or falling in the center.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
