Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger Pecan Crust

**Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE.**

When I was little, I would never swallow something that I didn't like. What was even more awesome than this was that I would never spit it out either.

I would stand there, holding whatever it was in my mouth until it started seeping out from between my lips.

One of the things that I've always disliked is cheesecake.

I also have this weird habit of continuing to try things that I don't like just to make sure I don't like it.

One year, The Hubble gave me a bite of his New York cheesecake (The Hubble loves cheesecake). I took the bite and a few seconds after putting the bite in my mouth I realized that I was holding it there. Not swallowing, not spitting it out.

At that point I figured since I was an adult, I should force myself to swallow it.

The one exception to this dislike of cheesecake is the pumpkin cheesecake.

When I worked at the Barnes & Noble in Las Cruces, NM my boss there convinced me to try a piece of pumpkin cheesecake. I fell head over heels in love!

Pumpkin cheesecake is like a smooth, creamy pumpkin pie. Ten times better than regular pumpkin pie. I was hooked!

When The Cake Slice Bakers voted on this pumpkin cheesecake for the month of November, I was a bit hesitant but also excited. See, I already have a pumpkin cheesecake recipe that I like. BUT, I was definitely willing to give this one a try. Especially when I realized the crust was made of ground pecans and crystallized ginger!

This cheesecake did NOT disappoint. In fact, it may replace my other recipe. It is smooth and creamy. This is the first cheesecake I've made that didn't crack. And the crust. Oh the crust. I am a sucker for all things ginger, and when it's crystallized ginger?? Be still my heart!

This recipe is definitely a keeper. Do youself a favor...run out and get the ingredients to make this and serve it at your Thanksgiving Day feast. Your loved ones will thank you!

Let's bake!

Let's make the crust first. Throw all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process that stuff until the pecans are finely ground and the whole thing starts to come together as a dough.

Press the mixture into a greased, foil wrapped springform pan.

Then bake it up until the edges start to brown. Place it on a wire rack and let it cool completely.

While that's cooling, we can make the filling. Whisk together the pumpkin, cream and some spices.

Then cream the cream cheese until it's fluffy.

Add the granulated...

And brown sugar gradually.

Then add the eggs, one at a time. Make sure you mix well and scrape the bowl in between each addition.

Now mix in the pumpkin mixture.

And the cornstarch.

Pour the filling onto the cooled crust. Place the whole thing in a water bath and bake it up until the top is set but still a bit wobbly.

Place the pan on a wire rack, remove the foil and immediately run a paring knife along the edges to prevent the top of the cake from cracking.

Make your pumpkin seeds and whipped cream if you are going to.

Slice the cake, dollop with whipped cream, sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds, serve, and enjoy!!


Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger Pecan Crust
Adapted from The Cake Book

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

For the Crust

• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 Tablespoon cold water

For the Filling

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 pounds (2 1/2-8 ounce blocks) lower fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 large eggs

For the Sugared Pumpkin Seeds

• 1/2 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 large egg white
• Pinch of salt
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

For the Crust

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x3 inch springform pan with baking spray. Cut an 18 inch square of heavy duty aluminum foil and wrap the foil around the outside of the pan.
2. Place the ingredients for the crust in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the pecans are finely ground and the dough comes together.
3. Press dough into an even layer over the bottom of the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until it begins to brown.
5. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

For the Filling

1. Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as necessary.
4. Gradually add the sugars and beat until blended.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
6. Add the pumpkin mixture and mix until blended.
7. Add the cornstarch and mix until just combined.
8. Pour the batter into the cooled crust.
9. Place the pan in a large roasting pan. Fill the pan with enough water to reach 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
10. Bake in the water bath for 70 to 80 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set but slightly wobbly (the cake will set completely as it cools).
11. Remove the cake pan from the water bath. Place the pan on a wire rack. Remove the foil from the pan.
12. Immediately run the tip of a paring knife around the sides of the pan, to prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking. 
13. Let the cake cool completely then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
14. Top with sugared pumpkin seeds and whipped cream, serve and enjoy!

For the Sugared Pumpkin Seeds

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place the pumpkin seeds in a small mixing bowl.
3. In another small bowl, whisk the egg white just until frothy.
4. Add just enough of the egg white to the pumpkin seeds to coat them.
5. Add the salt, sugar, and cinnamon, and toss well to coat the seeds.
6. Spread the seeds evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake, tossing them occasionally with a spatula, for 15 to 20 minutes or until they begin to dry and color.
8. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely.
9. Separate the chunks of seeds with your fingers then top cheesecake with the seeds.

For the Whipped Cream

1. In the chilled bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip the cream on high speed just until it begins to thicken.
2. Add the sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form.
3. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Snickerdoodle Croissant Cookies and a Giveaway - CLOSED

I believe I've mentioned this before, but I love snickerdoodles.

There is just something about these cookies that really do it for me.

I think maybe it's the tang from the cream of tartar??

Or the sweet and spicy combo of the cinnamon and sugar.

Who knows, but every time I see a new snickerdoodle recipe, I have to try it.

I was shopping at a hardware store recently and I ran across this book:

Once I started flipping through it, I landed on these snickerdoodle croissant cookies. Then the next page had snickerdoodle sandwich cookies! WHAT??? Yes, please!!

So I threw the book in my cart (check out the bottom of this post to see what that means for you).

I made these cookies within days of bringing home this book and I am definitely not disappointed in my purchase.

Though these cookies don't have the traditional snickerdoodle taste, that's okay. Each cookie is it's own being so I need not judge this one based on a childhood favorite.

I need to allow this cookie to become a favorite too!

The cookie had a soft crumb with a lovely texture from the nuts. And of course, the cinnamon and sugar. But hey, we one upped that and threw in brown sugar! I love brown sugar.

Okay, okay. I'll stop talking about how good these cookies were and just let you make them yourself.

Let's go.

Cream together the cream cheese and butter.

Toss in the brown sugar and vanilla, mix that up.

Add the flour until well combined.

Separate the dough into 3 portions and flatten them into disks. Cover and chill for an hour.

While the dough is chilling, have an impromptu photo session with your sous chef.

Preheat your oven. Then on a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough, sprinkle on the filling, then cut into 12 triangles.

From the widest edge, roll the cookies and place them on the cookie sheet. Bake them up then let them cool. Top with powdered sugar immediately before serving.

Serve and enjoy!!


Snickerdoodle Croissant Cookies
Adapted from Very Merry Cookies

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 6 ounces low fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• Fat free milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, on medium high speed, cream together the cream cheese and butter for 30 seconds.
2. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, the vanilla, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
3. Add the flour and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Divide dough into thirds. Flatten each dough portion into disks. Place between pieces of parchment paper and place in a large plastic zipper bag. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. 
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. In a small mixing bowl, combine the 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, the cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough into 9 inches circles. 
8. Lightly baste each dough circle with milk.
9. Evenly sprinkle the pecan mixture over each disk of dough, coming about 1/2 an inch to the edge.
10. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice each circle into 12 triangles.
11. Starting from the wide end, roll each triangle into a croissant shape. 
12. Place shaped dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.
13. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom of the cookies.
14. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
15. Sift powdered sugar over the cookies immediately before serving (if desired).
16. Serve and enjoy!!

Now it's time for the giveaway!! You know you want to try these cookies. Well, I want you to try these cookies. So what did I do?? I grabbed a copy of the cookbook for you as well as me! Aren't I just the bee's knees??

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

How to enter:

(Leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Answer this question: What is your favorite holiday treat? Include an email address in this comment.

2. Follow Jolts & Jollies through Google Friend Connect or RSS feed

3. Like Jolts & Jollies on Facebook

4. Follow @mannadonn on twitter

5. Tweet about this giveaway (can be done once per day). Include: a link to this blog post and @mannadonn in the tweet.

6. Post on Facebook about this giveaway (can be done once per day). Include: a link to this blog post and @Jolts & Jollies in the post.

7. Head over to My Camo Colored Life and enter my giveaway there!

This giveaway will end Monday, November, 28th at midnight (CST) and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, November, 29th. Good luck!!

So there you have it SEVEN ways to enter to win this giveaway! 

And don't forget to head over to My Camo Colored Life and enter my other giveaway for this GIVEAWAY TUESDAY!!

THE WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY ACCORDING TO RANDOM.ORG IS NUMBER 34, KATHIA!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.

Candy Corn Bark & A Giveaway {Giveaway Closed}

I read an article recently about how people don't really like candy corn anymore.

Apparently, candy corn is an outdated Halloween treat and many people don't think it should still be around.

Reading this made me start doing a poll among my family and friends.

The results did not make me happy. I found more people dislike candy corn than like it.

I LOVE candy corn.

I look forward to enjoying it every year.

I can't get enough of the stuff!

And the pumpkins??? The pumpkins are just plain heaven.

When I grabbed a Halloween treat magazine while I was grocery shopping a few weeks ago (yes, I am a total impulse shopper) I knew that I had to make this candy corn bark immediately!!

And guess what! Those people who "don't like candy corn" sure didn't turn their noses up at this bark.

I even bought the stuff to make it again when I went grocery shopping a couple days ago.

I must warn you though, this stuff is addicting!

So make it at your own risk!

Let me show you how stinking easy it is to make:

Throw your almond bark in a microwave safe bowl and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth.

Stir in the candy corn.

Stir in the pretzel pieces.

Spread the mixture over your prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle more candy corn on top and press down into the bark a bit. Let cool for an hour or more. Break into pieces.

Serve and enjoy!!

Candy Corn Bark
Retrieved from Betty Crocker Best Halloween Recipes 2011

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces vanilla flavored candy coating (almond bark), chopped
• 2 cups broken pretzel sticks
• 2 1/2 cups candy corn

Directions:

1. Spray a 15x10x1 inch pan with cooking spray then line with waxed paper.
2. Place the almond bark in a large microwaveable bowl and microwave, stopping to stir in 30 second increments, until smooth.
3. Mix in 2 cups of the candy corn.
4. Mix in the pretzel pieces.
5. Smooth mixture evenly onto prepared pan.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of candy corn onto the top of the mixture, press into candy coating to stick.
7. Allow to set, at least one hour.
8. Break into pieces.
9. Serve and enjoy!!

{This giveaway is closed}

Now on to the giveaway!!

A couple months ago, my BFF sent me the Scentsy cupcake warmer and the Happy Birthday scent as an early birthday present (my birthday is at the end of this month).

I decided that since I didn't have to buy one for myself, I would buy one for you!

Then...I had a baby...and didn't get a chance to do the giveaway.

Then I decided to wait until I hit 100 followers to do this giveaway.

And guess what...we hit it!! I have 100 followers now!! Thank you guys so much for hanging around!!

And since I love and appreciate you all SOOOOO much, I can't wait for one of you to have this. I love mine and I drool every time I walk into my house and it smells like funfetti cake without me having to turn my oven on!

So here are the deets:

You can win this Cupcake Scentsy warmer.

And a bar of the Happy Birthday scent.

To enter to win this giveaway, answer this question:
(be sure to leave your email with the comment)

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

For extra Entries

(Leave a comment for each additional entry)

1. Follow Jolts & Jollies through Google Friend Connect or RSS Feed

2. "Like" Jolts & Jollies on Facebook

3. Follow @mannadonn on Twitter

4. Tweet about this giveaway, including the link (can do this daily, just leave a comment each day)

5. Blog about this giveaway, including the link

6. Facebook this giveaway, including the link (can do this daily, just leave a comment each day)

That is an incredible amount of possibilities to win! 

This giveaway will end on Monday, October 10th at midnight. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 11th. Good luck!!

Individual Oreo Cheesecakes (Halloween Style)

I know I've said this before...but where has this year gone??

It seems like it is just flying by.

But I am BEYOND excited that tomorrow is the first day of October. October is probably my favorite month of the year.

Not only is Halloween in October, but the month marks the beginning of cooler weather, pumpkin season, and well...the fact that my birthday is in October doesn't hurt either.

This year October is especially exciting because The Hubble comes home for 2 weeks!! We haven't seen him for more than 2 days at a time since May and I'm so ready for him to be home...if only for 2 weeks.

October also marks Horror month for me. I tend to watch a ton of Horror movies and read Horror type books.

It's my favorite month. ;-)

A couple months ago, my Niece and I decided that we were going to bake our way through Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book.

So far, we have made 3 cupcakes from the book. LOL! We sure are over achievers aren't we???

My Nephew-in-Law chose the individual Oreo cheesecakes about a month ago and I kept putting them off. I had made them before and was not terribly impressed with them.

However, I got to thinking that if I just used the Double Stuffed Oreos that would push these over the edge of deliciousness.

Then I saw the Halloween Oreos! They were thicker than regular Oreos AND they were orange! (I love the color orange)

I quickly grabbed a package and the other needed ingredients and finally made these single serving cheesecakes.

I must say, I was reluctant to try them. I hadn't liked them in the past (I'm not a cheesecake person) so what made me think I would like them now?

Luckily, I did try them. Because they were amazing! I think the orange cream inside made these taste better than normal.

I ended up eating a half dozen of these on my own, and looking at the pictures makes me sad that I don't have them anymore.

I guess that means that I have to make more before the Halloween Oreos leave the shelves! Maybe I'll make them for The Hubble's homecoming.

Who knows...

What I do know, is that these are a MUST make! So drop what you are doing and go find these cookies!

Let's bake!

Line a couple muffin tins with cupcake liners then drop a whole cookie at the bottom of each.

Beat your cream cheese until smooth.

Gradually mix in the sugar. Then add the vanilla.

Beat in the eggs, a bit at a time.

Then add your sour cream and salt.

Grab the bowl off the mixer and stir in the cookie chunks by hand.

Fill up each cookie filled cup with batter. Don't be afraid to fill them to the top...they don't rise. Bake them up, cool them down then refrigerate for a good four hours, or up to overnight. (Leave them in the tins through the whole cooling and refrigerating process.

Remove from tins, serve and enjoy!!

Individual Oreo Cheesecakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:

• 42 Oreo cookies, 30 left whole, 12 coarsely chopped (I used the Halloween Oreos: 18 left whole, 12 coarsely chopped)
• 2 pounds lower fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup light sour cream
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line standard muffin pans with cupcake liners. Place one whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
2. In a large mixing bowl, on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
3. Gradually add the sugar and beat until combined.
4. Beat in vanilla.
5. Add the eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
6. Beat in sour cream and salt.
7. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chopped cookies by hand.
8. Divide batter evenly among cookie filled cups. Fill each liner almost to the top (don't be afraid, they don't rise).
9. Bake until filling is set, about 22 minutes, rotating the tins halfway through.
10. Transfer tins to wire rack to cool completely.
11. Leave in tins and refrigerate 4 hours or up to overnight.
12. Remove from tins immediately before serving, serve and enjoy!!

Springy Chocolate Birds' Nests with Willow Bird Baking

Woohoo!!! I'm in Texas! 


The move went fairly well...unless you consider the whole not being able to find the U-Haul until the last minute and finding out The Hubble's car had to go into the shop for a $400 part 2 days before we were supposed to leave "well." But hey...we all made it in one piece and nothing seems to be broken (so far). 


While I'm busy unpacking the towers of boxes surrounding us, my dearest Julie was kind enough to share one of her creative recipes with us. Julie is beyond amazing and has inspired me so much! From homemade croissants to 7 pound cheesecakes, this lady makes me strive for greatness! So after you check out this adorable cupcake topper, make sure you run over to Julie's blog and check her out (as if you don't hang on her every word already).


Thanks again Julie!!! And if you asked The Hubble, he would tell you to take a bunch of my shoes...but I'm reluctant to part with them...seeing as how they are super cute. ;-)


This is Julie from Willow Bird Baking, stepping into Maranda's glamorous shoes for a moment to bring you a guest post. And what an honor to be asked to step into these shoes! (No, seriously, they're really cute shoes. Maranda, can I have these?)

Anyway, she's just moved from the wintery middle-of-nowhere to a land of perpetual summer, so I thought I'd bring a little bit of spring to Jolts & Jollies.

These birds' nests are a fun, sweet way to do it. They're the easiest no-bake cookies this side o' the Lone Star state (and probably on the other side, too), but are adorable when they're finished. Making birds' nests is also a great project for little hands to help with once the chocolate has cooled a bit.

You can eat these as cookies, but as you can see, I used mine as cupcake toppers for some springy cupcakes. They would also be adorable on top of a big cake.

To make about 7 of these sweet nests, you'll need:

3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chow mein noodles
candy eggs (I love the malted chocolate ones!)
parchment paper or a silicone mat

Once you have your materials, melt your chocolate chips according to directions on the package, stirring as you go. Add the chow mein noodles to the chocolate and gently stir to coat. Make little 1/4 cup-ish piles of noodles on your parchment paper or silicone mat.

Let the chocolate cool for just a few minutes before molding it (while still warm and pliable) into a nest-like shape. Allow to harden fully (I stuck mine in the fridge for a few minutes) and decorate with candy eggs. Eat as cookies, or use these to top cupcakes!

Guest Blogger Recap

I don't know about you and your holidays...but mine were a bit crazy.

What with traveling about 6,000 miles over the course of 3 weeks, I can't say I found a ton of time for the computer.

How about you? Did you have much computer time over the last month or so?

I didn't think so. ;-p

Since I had so many amazing and talented bloggers grace the pages of my little site, I don't want them to have been missed due to the hustle and bustle of the craziest season of the year.

Therefore, it is my privilege to provide you a little recap of the scrumptious treats you may or may not have missed.

Next week, I'll be back to share some of the recipes I made before I took off...and maybe I'll even start cooking again!

So here we go with the recap:

We kicked off the season with Sarah from Life is Still Sweet. Sarah made us these ooey gooey walnut chews. Well...she actually made them for Santa...but I won't tell that she ate half the tray on her own.

Next up, we were tempted with these fluffy homemade marshmallows from Katie at gdk. Katie topped this decadent chocolate cake with her marshmallows. This technique will get anyone drooling.

I felt like the luckiest girl in the world when I was able to meet miss Monica from Lick the Bowl Good. I was over the moon when I was then able to feature her coffee chocolate chip muffins, as I'm sure you were when you saw this mouthwatering recipe!

Next, we had oreo truffle balls from Kendra at Uncork & Unwined. These bite sized balls of oreo heaven are perfect for parties...or get togethers...or dinner parties...or just because.

Then we had Jessica from The Tale of Two Kitchens with a healthy, light and luck filled black eyed pea salad. Apparently, eating black eye peas on new years day is supposed to give you luck for the rest of the year. Who knew??? This salad is full of fresh vegetables and a little heat from the jalapeno addition. I think the lucky part is being able to enjoy such a delicious, yet good for you, salad.

Switching things up a bit...we had Julie from Mommie Cooks provide us with a recipe for hot buttered rum. Please SOMEONE tell me I'm not the only one who thinks of Harry Potter whenever I see this recipe?? The amazing thing about Julie is that she loves to give kid friendly options to "adult" recipes. Whip up this hot drink in place of hot chocolate on a cold, snowy day...then add the rum for your "nerves." ;-)

And finally, there was Ingrid from 3 B's...baseball, baking and books with this cinnamon roll cake. I have already had a couple friends make this cake since Ingrid shared it with us on Monday and it has been met with rave reviews. Even if you don't eat this cake, just make it...it makes your house smell delicious!

Thanks so much to all of you guest bloggers for sharing your recipes and hearts with us.

And thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to visit my little site and give so much love to me and all these amazingly talented women.