13/4 cups (about 14 to 16 cookies) crushed toffee or plain shortbread cookies
4 teaspoons butter or margarine, melted
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
11/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped or crushed hard-toffee candies, divided 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel ice cream topping (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For crust, combine cookie crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up on side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown).
Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
For cheesecake, beat cream cheese and brown sugar in large mixer bowl at medium speed until creamy. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, cornstarch and cinnamon; beat well. Stir in 1/3 cup toffee pieces. Pour into crust.
Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.
Remove from oven and top with 1/3 cup toffee pieces.
For topping, combine sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract and remaining toffee pieces in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake.
Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan. Serves 12.
Source: Nestle.
Black Bean Pumpkin Soup
3 15.5-ounce cans black beans (about 41/2 cups), rinsed and drained
1 cup drained canned tomatoes, chopped
11/4 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup minced shallot
4 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 cups beef broth
1 16-ounce can pumpkin puree(about 11/2 cups)
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into 1/8-inch dice
3 to 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Garnish: Sour cream and coarsely chopped, lightly toasted pumpkin seeds
In a food processor coarsely puree beans and tomatoes.
In a 6-quart heavy kettle cook onion, shallot, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened and beginning to brown. Stir in bean puree. Stir in broth, pumpkin, and sherry until combined and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Just before serving, add ham and vinegar and simmer soup, stirring, until heated through.
Season soup with salt and pepper.
Serve soup garnished with sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Makes about 9 cups.
Source: "Gourmet" magazine, November 1996.
Date Pecan Pumpkin Squares
21/2 cups all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. In another bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs, one at a time, beating, and beat in the pumpkin, the vanilla, and 1/4 cup water. In a small bowl toss the dates with 1/4 cup of the flour mixture until they are well-coated. Gradually add the remaining flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, beating slowly, and stir in the date mixture and the pecans, stirring until the batter is combined.
Pour the batter into a greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan, and bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean.
Let the cake cool on a rack, cut it into 12 squares, and serve it with vanilla ice cream.
Source: "Gourmet" magazine, November 1990.
Overnight Italian Pumpkin Strata
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread, cut into 11/2-inch cubes
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 12-ounce cans evaporated milk
1 15-ounce can pureed pumpkin
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9- by 13-inch baking pan.
Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion, bell peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring to break up sausage, for 7 to 10 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
Combine bread cubes, cheese and sausage mixture in large bowl. Beat evaporated milk, pumpkin, eggs, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and marjoram in medium bowl. Pour over bread mixture, pressing bread into milk mixture. Pour into prepared baking pan.
