Cooking up a Thanksgiving Feast

The title of this blog is somewhat misleading.  When I say I am cooking up a Thanksgiving feast what I really mean is I am making 4 things to take to the family Thanksgiving Dinner (3 of these things are desserts).  I love what Thanksgiving stands for, and I love any reason to get together with family members while we eat a 5,000 calorie meal.  But I have a confession.  I am not a fan of Thanksgiving foods.  I have never met a cooked turkey (or any turkey for that matter) that has changed my life for the better, and the same goes for dressing.  A few other Thanksgiving staples that I do not enjoy pumpkin products and sweet potatoes...gag.  But I can put all that aside for a few thanksgiving meal favorites that I do enjoy.  Broccoli Casserole I love a good casserole feel free to read all about my love for casseroles here.   I could eat bowls and bowls of broccoli casserole...I would not be allowed back in my house for the following 48 hours due the the after affects of broccoli but lets not think about that.  So this year I am taking Paula Deens Broccoli Casserole (recipe here) my famous eclair cake (recipe here) and two new desserts I have never made before. 

I love cheesecake!  Cheese and cake paired together cannot equal anything less then complete and total awesomeness.  I have always cheated when it comes to cheesecake.  I purchase those nice little "no bake cheesecake kits".  But for this Thanksgiving I really wanted to go all out and make a cheesecake from scratch.  So I set out to find the best cheesecake recipe the Internet has to offer.  I still don't know if this is the best out there but it looked so good I figured we'd give it a try...even if a cheesecake is bad it is still really good.  I had a lot to learn about the making of cheesecakes.  I read all the tips and tricks and as I type this I am praying that my cheesecake doesn't create a crack the size of the grand canyon down the center.  If it does I am going to cover it up with whip cream and a decorative lime slice...truth be told I'm going to do that with or without the grand canyon crack.  I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and I also took some advice from Emril so hopefully this cheesecake will be requested at every family event...I will let you know.  Here is the recipe for Key Lime Cheesecake.  Side note:  All the reviews for this recipe said that it was way to twangy and tart if you used the entire 2/3 cup of key lime juice so I cut that in half and only a little over 1/3.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons butter, melted

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 eggs

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

2/3 cup key lime juice

Directions

1. Combine cookie or graham cracker crumbs with butter or margarine. Press into bottom and partially up sides of 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate.
2. In a large bowl, beat with an electric mixer the cream cheese, sugar, lime peel, and cornstarch until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, blending just until smooth. Add key lime juice with mixer on low. Finish mixing by hand. Do not overbeat, or cake will crack during baking. Pour batter into prepared crust.
3. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 55 to 65 minutes, or until set. To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on lower rack during baking.
4. Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes with the door open at least 4 inches. Remove from oven. Refrigerate cake overnight, and up to three days.

Next up on the list of new recipes coming out of the Pruitt kitchen is Pumpkin Cream Pie.  I don't like pumpkin, but my best friend Melissa loves Pumpkin Pie.  I wanted to do something different then your regular run of the mill pumpkin pie and after checking out Pioneerwoman.com I found the perfect jazzed up pumpkin pie alternative.  I thought I would make it for our Family Thanksgiving and then make her one when we get together on Saturday.  If your looking for something different then pumpkin pie but still don't want to forfeit the pumpkin taste you should try this!  The recipe calls for whiskey but I didn't have any whiskey on hand (dang it!) so I left that part out.  O who am I kidding I never have whiskey on hand, my parents would KILL me and we don't drink. 

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRUST:
• 1-½ package Graham Crackers (about 15 Cookie Sheets)
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 stick Butter, Melted
• FOR THE FILLING:
• 1 box (3 Oz. Box) Vanilla Pudding (Cook And Serve Variety)
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• Pinch Of Cinnamon
• Pinch Of Nutmeg
• Pinch Of Ground Cloves
• 2 Tablespoons Whiskey (optional)
• ½ cups (plus 3 Tablespoons) Pumpkin Puree
• ½ cups (additional) Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• Extra Graham Cracker Crumbs, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Grind graham crackers in a food processor (or, if you don’t have a food processor, place them in a large ziploc and pound ‘em with a rolling pin.) Add powdered sugar and melted butter and process until totally combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until nice and firm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm and “set.” Remove from oven and allow crust to cool completely.
In a medium saucepan, mix dry pudding mix with half-and-half and cream. Add spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat and stir in whiskey, if using. Add pumpkin and stir to combine. Place lid on pot and set aside to cool. When cool enough, place pot in the fridge to cool completely.
When mixture is cool, remove from the fridge. In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and brown sugar. Beat until very light and fluffy. Fold in pumpkin cream mixture until combined. Pour into cooled crust.
Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top.