#COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST COOKBOOK AUTHOR ELIZA CROSS & PUMPKIN CRUNCH CHEESECAKE

It’s all about pumpkin this time of year, isn’t it? Today award-winning cookbook author Eliza Cross joins us to share a recipe from Pumpkin It Up!, her cookbook featuring all things pumpkin. Eliza has authored eleven additional cookbooks and three nonfiction books and is currently working on her first novel. Learn more about Eliza and her books at her website and blog. 

About the Recipe

This is a fun dessert to bring to a holiday gathering as an alternative (or in addition) to traditional pumpkin pie. It’s a cross between a cheesecake and a pie with five layers of goodness: a crispy shortbread base, a light pumpkin cheesecake filling, a tangy vanilla sour cream layer and a topping of crunchy toffee. The final flourish? A drizzle of caramel sauce, because you only live once. 

I developed this recipe for my cookbook Pumpkin It Up! (Gibbs Smith, Publisher), which has 75 sweet and savory recipes using pumpkin. The preparation is easy, but I suggest you begin the day before you plan to serve it so you have ample time for baking and chilling. 

The Crust

Crumbled shortbread cookies form the base of this dessert. The crumbs are combined with melted butter, and I like to use salted butter for that delightful sweet-salty flavor combination. You can also substitute crumbled graham crackers for a more traditional crust, or crushed gingersnaps if you prefer a spicier flavor.

The Two-part Filling

The first layer of filling is made of cream cheese, pumpkin, brown sugar and spices, blended and whipped until light and creamy. After baking, it’s topped with a sweetened vanilla sour cream layer. 

The Toffee Topping and an Inspired Mistake

Chopped toffee bits form the next crunchy layer. You can use Heath bits that come in the bag, or get Heath or Skor bars and chop them in fine pieces. For pure toffee flavor, you can buy Werther’s Original Caramel Hard Candies and smash them with a hammer or rolling pin into small bits. (Smashing hard candy has the added benefit of helping relieve stress.) 

My original vision for this dessert was that when you cut it, you’d discover the ribbon of toffee inside. When the food stylist prepared the recipe to be photographed, however, she accidentally sprinkled the toffee bits on top. Her photo was so pretty that we decided to change the recipe rather than re-shoot the photo. 

Caramel Sauce

You can use your favorite caramel ice cream topping, or you can be especially decadent and use authentic Dulce de Leche, which you can find right near the sweetened condensed milk in the grocery store. It’s thick, so you’ll probably need to warm it before drizzling. 

Shall we start cooking? Here’s the recipe:

Pumkin Crunch Cheesecake

1 3/4 cups crushed shortbread cookies
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 can (15 ounces) or 1 7/8 cups cooked pumpkin puree
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 container (8 ounces) sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup toffee bits
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press into bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 7 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin, milk, eggs, cornstarch, cinnamon, and ginger; beat well. Pour into crust. Bake until edge is set but center still moves slightly, about 60 minutes. 

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla; mix well. Spread over warm cheesecake and sprinkle with the toffee bits. Return to the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until filling is firm. Remove springform pan side and drizzle with caramel topping just before serving. Makes 10 servings.

Pumpkin It Up!

There’s more to pumpkin than lattes and pies, so Pumpkin It Up! is here to help you discover sweet and savory ways to pumpkin up every meal. With both traditional favorites and unexpected twists, these recipes will please even the pickiest of pumpkin eaters. Stock your spice rack with Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice, keep breakfast classic with Pumpkin Pancakes, liven up dinner with Pumpkin Tortilla Soup, and tempt yourself with Pumpkin Tiramisu for dessert. Whatever your pumpkin craving is, you’re covered!

Recipe excerpt from Pumkin It Up! by Eliza Cross. Photography by Susan Barnson Hayward. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith.

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COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR JACQUIE BIGGAR & PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

Jacquie Biggar knew from the time she was twelve years old, that she wanted one day to be a writer. But she grew up, got married, raised a family and left her writing urges to simmer in the background unattended. Now she’s ready to take up the writing reins and see how far she can travel. Learn more about Jacquie and her writing at her website. 

Fifteen years ago I was waitressing in small local café in our hometown of Edson Alberta, Canada. One day the owner, a family friend, announced she had to give up the restaurant due to bad knees. I went home, talked it over with DH, and next thing you know, we were the proud owners of the Bluejay Café.

Only problem was, I didn’t know how to cook! I mean I could cook, but my nickname was Hamburger Helper Queen. That should tell you something right there. Thank God I had my mom, who stayed by my side, and taught me how to do everything from making soup stock to gravy, to desserts. I would’ve been lost without her.

Those were some of the longest days of my life. Between learning the kitchen, trying to figure out the menus, and print them myself. Configuring the till to accept the proper tax amounts, finding the right staff (one of THE most important components of a successful restaurant,) setting up accounts with suppliers, and oh yeah, the books, oy!

Not to mention a young daughter and a hubby that put in long hours of his own and expected a good meal on the table when he arrived home. But I learned. And I’m proud to say we turned that café into one of the most popular places in town. I was even noticed by a couple of food critics traveling the province who featured us in their book, The Food Lover’s Trail Guide to Alberta, an honor for sure.

One of the most popular desserts we made was bread pudding. Then one day I thought, why not kick this up a notch? Hence the creation of Pumpkin Bread Pudding. My book, Tidal Falls, centers largely on a local café, Grits and Grace, kind of catchy, don’t you think?

Grace’s Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

Assorted bread cubes (I save my crusts of white, brown and cinnamon raisin, then rip them into bite size pieces.)

handful of raisins

6-8 large eggs

4 cups sugar

cinnamon

shake of salt

1 can pumpkin puree

milk, approximately 1 litre

margarine

brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill Dutch oven with mixed bread cubes and raisins.

In a separate large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, cinnamon and shake of salt. Add pumpkin puree. Mix. Slowly add milk until mixture is loose. Pour mix over bread and stir, should be soupy—not too loose, though—just so you see the liquid through the bread. If not, add a couple more eggs and milk blended together to the mix. When you have a nice consistency sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon and small dollops of margarine over the top.

Bake 60-90 minutes. Top will gain a nice crunchy golden look. Take a knife and spread the center apart to tell if done. Drizzle some of your favorite caramel sundae sauce over the top and enjoy.

Tidal Falls

Sara Reed is on the run from an abusive ex who happens to have ties to a Mexican cartel. Mistakenly thinking she and her daughter would be safer if she had some kind of leverage, she takes a copy of some valuable files, files that make her a target.

Nick Kelley is an ex-marine trying to find his place now that his career is over due to injuries suffered from an IED. When the two of them meet in the pretty little town of Tidal Falls, the experience is explosive.

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COOKING WITH CLORIS - PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

Don’t want to bother with the mess of stuffing a turkey but don’t want to serve boxed stuffing? Try pumpkin bread pudding this Thanksgiving.

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING
(serves 8)

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped onions
2 gloves minced garlic
1 stick unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar
5 lg. eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
5 cups day-old French bread broken into 1” pieces

Sauté the onions and garlic in the butter until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Mix together pumpkin and milk. Beat eggs and sugar. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Combine sautéed onion/garlic mixture, egg mixture, and pumpkin mixture. Place bread in large bowl. Pour pumpkin mixture over bread. Add walnuts. Mix well. Pour into greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees 30-45 minutes until mixture sets.

DECORATING WITH JEANIE - THINGS TO DO WITH PUMPKINS

It’s that time of year again – pumpkin time. Monica S. writes for Feast Your Eyes!,  which is a company that does event-planning and catering in Toronto. Today she joins us to offer 15 suggestions for things to do with your pumpkin. -- AP

15 Things To Do with Your Pumpkin

Autumn is the season for cooler weather, amazing parties and most importantly, pumpkins. This time of year, you see pumpkins everywhere. Many believe that the only use for this large vegetable is turning it into a delicious pie or carving it for Halloween, but this is not the case. There is so much that you can do with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. Here are fifteen things to do with your pumpkin.

1. Make candleholders
One great way to utilize mini pumpkins is creating cute little candle holders. Whether you are holding a party in your home or planning an event, pumpkin candle holders are great additions to any autumn décor. Carve a hole in the top portion of the miniature pumpkins and place candles inside. For a more detailed look, carve designs on the outside.

2. Make pumpkin seeds

Instead of throwing out your leftover seeds, rinse them out and sprinkle them with a little salt or spice. Then place them in a 300 degree oven for about 45 minutes until they turn golden brown to create a tasty and nutritional snack. Pumpkin seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, iron and zinc as well.

3. Paint your pumpkins
In order to use your pumpkins as beautiful decorations, paint them instead of carving. With the help of latex paint, you can paint almost anything on a pumpkin.

4. Pumpkin Bowling

Look for the roundest pumpkin you can find and then remove its stem, Afterwards use the round pumpkin instead of using the ball in a kiddies bowling set. Don’t expect the pumpkin to roll straight like a ball. That’s where the fun comes in!

5. Make a pumpkin gift basket
Instead of going to the store to purchase pre-made gift baskets, create your own by using pumpkins. Once you hollow out the pumpkin, you can fill it with flowers, jams and other gift foods to give to party guests or family members.

6. Use your pumpkin as a vase

 Carve out the top part of your pumpkin and clean the inside. Place a vase inside to hold the flowers. The other options is to hot glue flowers or candles on the top of the pumpkin.

7. Use as fireplace decorations
Once you have painted or carved your pumpkins, you can use them as fireplace decorations. Beautifully decorated pumpkins can highlight a focal point, such as a fireplace, in a room.

8. Pumpkin Games

Halloween parties can be fun; coming up with ideas for games can be a bit challenging. Find some really mini pumpkins to use for pumpkin bobbing, or play the passing pumpkin or even finding the pumpkin games.

9. Set up an outdoor pumpkin wagon
When you want to spruce up an outdoor space and give it that seasonal feel, set up an outdoor pumpkin wagon or two.

10. Carve a pumpkin

It’s something fun that people of all ages can do. You can either carve out something really silly and simple or you can carve out something really scary and spooky.

11. Bake a pie
Everyone loves to sit down and enjoy a delicious pumpkin pie with a nice cup of coffee or tea.

12. Plant and grow more pumpkins

When cleaning out your pumpkin, don’t forget to save those seeds for planting season.

13. Use as photo props
At a party or event why not set up a photo area with pumpkin props? A cute picture for guests to take home is a great idea that will ensure they remember the occasion.

14. Make a bird feeder

Make sure to use a small pumpkin in order to create the bird feeder. Cut your pumpkin in half and gut it. Then use a strong, sturdy rope to hang the pumpkin on a tree branch or your porch. You can use small sticks for birds to perch on by inserting them in the pumpkin. Don’t forget to fill the pumpkin with birdseed.

15. Make curried pumpkin seeds
Several delicious recipes are available for curried pumpkin seeds. With a few simple ingredients that include lime juice, curry powder and a few spices, anyone can make this tasty snack that can be served anywhere.

Overall, there are so many options when it comes to pumpkins. You can use them for food as well as a variety of creative crafts, décor and gift ideas. If you are planning a party or event, you can use these ideas to decorate the event space. Aside from these ideas, do not forget catering Toronto. A great caterer can make any party or special event even better. They may even have a few great ways to incorporate pumpkin into the menu.

Thanks for the wonderful suggestions, Monica! -- AP