Living in a cooler climate means that the growing season ends earlier in the year, so Thanksgiving Weekend is here now and while the entire meal is a celebration of the bounty of the harvest, I am going to focus on DESSERT!, Pumpkin Cheesecake with lots of little extras.
Giving thanks changes the body. True gratitude, felt not just spoken, changes your vibration, connects you with Source. Pam Grout in E-squared says, ” There is no power on Earth that can cut you off from this source except your own consciousness”. Give thanks genuinely this Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be grateful for. Choose for the preparation of this meal to focus on what that means for you.
You will need:
Crust portion:
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
2 Tbsp ginger bread spice ( Lebkuchen spice, more about this below )
6 Tbsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp chopped crystalized ginger
Cheesecake portion:
500 gr ( 2 packages ) Cream Cheese
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
5 Tbsp. white sugar
5 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
2 Tsp. cornstarch
Topping Portion:
2 cups sour cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 – 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. butter
Candied Almonds
” Thank you for all goodness in Your many forms. Come together please for this work. Thank you for all the plants from the Earth whose life force will combine with gifts from our animal friends. Thank you for heat, created through the combining of Fire & Air and thank you also for the Water that clears my hearth and cleanses my space. We are blessed.”
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
This recipe will fit a 9 inch spring form pan. I decided I wanted 2 finished desserts, so I split the recipe into the 9 inch pan and smaller 4 inch pan for a Thanksgiving care package, hence the picture below. There was still lots of actual cheesecake filing for the 9 inch spring form.
You will not need to grease the spring form as the butter from the crust has enough fat to do the job and a knife around the outside of the cooled cheesecake will make sure everything is released before the pan is opened.
I used Lebkuchen spice for this recipe which might be a new thing. It is a combination of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, coriander, cardamom, ginger, anise seed and star anise. If this is not readily available, Pumpkin spice or Speculaas spice are good substitutes.
Combine the crumbs, spice, butter and sugar and mix until well blended. ( Clean hands will do the job just fine. ) Add in finely chopped candied ginger and toss. Transfer to pan and press evenly and firmly into place over the bottom and partly up the side of the pan.
Combine all the ingredients for the cheese cake portion in a bowl and with a mixer, whip until smooth. Pour into pan and bake for 40 minutes.
While the cheesecake is baking, mix sour cream, sugar and flavouring together.
At 40 minutes, take the cheesecake out of the oven and pour the sour cream mixture over the top, starting at the edges and working your way inwards. It is a good idea, not to dump the entire mixture on the softest part of the cheesecake, the middle. Spread evenly and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
Once baked, allow to cool for 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the spring form pan and releasing the spring while making sure the cake is not attached anywhere. Allow to fully cool.
In a bowl melt the chocolate chips with the butter. The purpose of the butter is to soften the chocolate so that it is easier to cut through at serving time. Once melted, stir together well and spread over the top of the cheesecake, gently moving the mass towards the edge. If you feel like dribbling chocolate over the edges and down the side of the cake, you will need more chocolate. While the chocolate is still soft decorate with the candied almonds in any pattern you would like. Chill for 4 hours.
Making this yummy dessert a day or two ahead will allow the spices time to mingle and you to tick one thing off the list for day of preparations. Take the cheesecake out of the fridge just before dinner starts so the cheesecake can warm up a little and the chocolate can soften.
Try taking a small break between the main course and dessert. This will give people time for dinner to settle and the plates to be cleared. In my home it was also when we went around the table and shared what in our lives we appreciated. One last recognition of blessings while this decadent dessert represented a grateful bounty.
Pumpkin Cheesecake from My Kitchen Wand
