Crust Ingredients:
2 cups raw Brazil Nuts
A few handfuls of other nuts (like pecans, hazelnuts, etc)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp brown sugar
pinch of salt
(drop of vanilla or rum is okay too - depends on your taste)
How to make a tasty tasty crust (I use this for ALL cheesecakes rather than graham cracker)
A) for the non-stressed out person who is pressed for time use your food processor to grind up the nuts into a fine flour.
B) for the stressed-out person who dedicates a Saturday morning to a perfect crust - get out your meat tenderizor, double bag your nuts, braid your hair into twin braids, and smash away (don't forget to try on a german accent and pretend you're Helga the barbarian - your spouse will think you've lost a few marbles, but, trust me, if it doesn't get you giggling like a little school girl, nothing will!)
After you have a fine, nutty, flour (a few nut chunks are okay - they add a nice texture to the crust), melt your butter, and add in your remaining ingredients. Press firmly into the bottom of a springform pan.
Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees) and roast for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. You can also use roasted macadamia nuts instead of brazil nuts, which eliminates the need to roast your crust.
When done, take out, and pop into fridge and focus on your cheese.
Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tblspns butter, softened
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened (There are fantastical soy cream cheeses now available - and the texture/taste is identical to traditional cream cheese - use this for your dary alternative, otherwise, all directions are the same)
1/3 cup packed browns ugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin butter (see below)
Directions:
Combine pecans and 1/3 cup brown sugar; cut in butter or margarine with a pastry blender (or with a fork and some patience) until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
Beat cream cheese at high speed until smooth (whipped). Add 1/3 cup borwn sugar, beat well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in Pumpkin Butter.
Pour mixture into crust.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Sprinkle Pecan mixture from first step over pie. Bake for 5 additional minutes, or until butter and sugar melts.
Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.
************
Pumpkin Butter:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp white sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of pumpkin (canned is fine)
In microwaveable bowl, combine all ingredients except pumpkin. MW on high for 3 minutes and stir thoroughly.
Add pumpkin, stir well, and MW on high again for 5 minutes. Stir stir stir, and there ya go!
Enjoy!
2 cups raw Brazil Nuts
A few handfuls of other nuts (like pecans, hazelnuts, etc)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp brown sugar
pinch of salt
(drop of vanilla or rum is okay too - depends on your taste)
How to make a tasty tasty crust (I use this for ALL cheesecakes rather than graham cracker)
A) for the non-stressed out person who is pressed for time use your food processor to grind up the nuts into a fine flour.
B) for the stressed-out person who dedicates a Saturday morning to a perfect crust - get out your meat tenderizor, double bag your nuts, braid your hair into twin braids, and smash away (don't forget to try on a german accent and pretend you're Helga the barbarian - your spouse will think you've lost a few marbles, but, trust me, if it doesn't get you giggling like a little school girl, nothing will!)
After you have a fine, nutty, flour (a few nut chunks are okay - they add a nice texture to the crust), melt your butter, and add in your remaining ingredients. Press firmly into the bottom of a springform pan.
Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees) and roast for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. You can also use roasted macadamia nuts instead of brazil nuts, which eliminates the need to roast your crust.
When done, take out, and pop into fridge and focus on your cheese.
Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tblspns butter, softened
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened (There are fantastical soy cream cheeses now available - and the texture/taste is identical to traditional cream cheese - use this for your dary alternative, otherwise, all directions are the same)
1/3 cup packed browns ugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin butter (see below)
Directions:
Combine pecans and 1/3 cup brown sugar; cut in butter or margarine with a pastry blender (or with a fork and some patience) until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
Beat cream cheese at high speed until smooth (whipped). Add 1/3 cup borwn sugar, beat well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in Pumpkin Butter.
Pour mixture into crust.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Sprinkle Pecan mixture from first step over pie. Bake for 5 additional minutes, or until butter and sugar melts.
Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.
************
Pumpkin Butter:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp white sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of pumpkin (canned is fine)
In microwaveable bowl, combine all ingredients except pumpkin. MW on high for 3 minutes and stir thoroughly.
Add pumpkin, stir well, and MW on high again for 5 minutes. Stir stir stir, and there ya go!
Enjoy!
That sounds GREAT!!! I am definitely going to have to try this one out!