about
about me.
i'm kelly.
26 year old stressbaker.
about-to-graduate grad school.
new england transplant.
eating through philly & the burbs.
baking my way into the hearts of friends.
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010 @ 8:28 PM
baking thank-yous and conquering fears
At some point during my senior year of college, I found myself surrounded by amazing people. In moments when life got messy, I had a group of people ready to lend an ear, a prayer or a tub of ice cream. Thinking about how blessed I was made the world go watery and brought out the dimples I often forgot to use. I was so overwhelmed with thanks that words seemed trite and inadequate, leaving me unable to articulate my feelings. So, I turned to baking to express my gratitude. I channeled my emotions into every stir of my whisk and every swirl of my spatula. "Baked with love" took on a whole new meaning. Thank-yous morphed into muffins and cookies and banana bread and (once) five pounds of fudge.
I carry on the baking thank-yous tradition today. It manifests itself in macarons and madelines, caneles and cupcakes. My techniques and treats may have advanced, but I'm still at a loss for words. Despite being in grad school for English, I consider myself to be just as inarticulate as I was back then (if not less... my life is no longer filled with poets and poetry as it once was).
graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, fall spices for the crust
baked and beautiful.
(I was nervous that it was wobbly when it came out of the oven, but after some serious Googling, I found out that that was completely normal and it set after a few hours in the fridge)
It's rare that I surprise myself with how delicious something comes out, but my first bite of this guy was one of those moments. I mindlessly took a bite, as if I were nibbling on crackers at a cocktail party. After about two chews, my tastebuds finally woke up and said, "Hey, Dummy! Pay attention, this is delicious!" I may have even stopped talking; it's all a delicious blur.
If you are looking for something autumnal and rich to make for your friends (perhaps you have some thank-yous to bake), I implore you to try this recipe. You won't be disappointed.
Pumpkin Cheesecake as seen on foodnetwork.com
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007 (Bless that woman... she's probably the reason I have at least 2 lbs of butter in my fridge at all times)
Prep Time:15 min
Pumpkin Cheesecake as seen on foodnetwork.com
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007 (Bless that woman... she's probably the reason I have at least 2 lbs of butter in my fridge at all times)
Prep Time:15 min
Inactive Prep Time: 4 hr 15 min
Cook Time:1 hr 0 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
Crust:
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter
Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Labels: cheesecake, emotional baking, fall flavors, pumpkin
3 Comments:
Congrats, Kelly! I make a brownie bottom Bailey's cheesecake that's pretty phenomenal. Haven't made GF modification yet but I will in March.
By 
Gina, at
October 13, 2010 at 8:34 PM
I absolutely love this post. The first part seriously made me "awwww"... I feel the same way, I struggle to thank the people I love. Talking gets me all flustered, so writing is my equivalent of baking, I guess. Though I do enjoy baking, I really love sending/giving cards to people! What a nerd! haha
Your blog is so wonderful, keep up the good work, girl! <3
By Jess, at
October 13, 2010 at 8:56 PM
Thanks, Gina! That sounds amazing! Pass along the recipe (if you don't mind, that is).
Aww, Jess! Having received several wonderful cards from you this past year, I can honestly say that they bring joy to their receivers! You have a way of making people feel appreciated and reminding them of their gifts and that is a skill in itself that goes way beyond a plain old "thank you!"
By kelly, at
October 14, 2010 at 9:50 PM