Pumpkin Cheesecake W/ Dulce De Leche Topping
Ditching the traditional sweet potato pies for our Thanksgiving desserts, I made pumpkin cheesecake with dulce de leche topping instead. It was my first time to make it so I was bit nervous how it will turn out. I also made red velvet cake truffles as a back up dessert just in case I totally mess the pumpkin cheesecake up. I pretty much just relied on the basic cheesecake recipe then added the usual ingredients that go with pumpkin, i,e cinnamon, and brown sugar. The result? So delicious especially with the dulce de leche topping and at the last minute, the homemade whipped cream that was optional but certainly didn’t hurt to have with the cheesecake.
| Pumpkin Cheesecake W/ Dulce De Leche Topping |
- CRUST
- 2 packets of cinnamon flavored graham crackers
- 1 stick Melted
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- FILLING
- 2 bricks Cream Cheese
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups pumpkin puree(canned)
- 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
- TOPPING
- 1 can of condense milk
- homemade(or store bought) whipped cream, optional)
- ———CRUST———–
- Crush the graham using a Magic Bullet or regular blender.
- Melt 1 stick of butter in the microwave. Pour it into the crushed graham crackers. Add the vanilla, then mix together by pulsing a few more times in the blender.
- Put the crumbs into the bottom and sides of springform pan. Distribute the crumbs evenly while flattening it at the same time with the bottom of the glass and/or your hands too sometimes. Set the pan aside after doing this.
- At this point, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- ——FILLING——–
- Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar, mix until incorporated.
- Add the eggs (4). One at a time. Beating in between. Keep beating until well-incorporated. Scrape the sides a few times, then beat again.
- Stir in the flour, salt, cinnamon powder and vanilla, then add the pumpkin puree and heavy cream. Continue to beat a few more minutes.
- Pour the mixture into the springform pan. Shake it gently to make the top smooth or just use a flat spatula to smooth out the top. Stick it in the oven to bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes
- After baking, turn the oven off, then open the oven door. DO NOT TAKE THE CHEESECAKE OUT! Leave it in the open oven for 10 minutes.
- After that, take it out of the oven and let it sit in the counter to cool for about 10 minutes then stick it in the fridge to chill overnight.
- ———–TOPPING———-
- 2 hours after you’ve chilled the cheesecake, make the dulce de leche topping. Pour the condense milk into a pot, under medium heat. Whisk and continue to whisk until it’s smooth, bubbly, and the color has darkened slightly.
- Pour it on top of the chilled cheesecake and carefully spread to cover the top. Put the cheesecake back into the fridge to continue with the chilling process(overnight).
- Once ready to serve the dessert, take out the chilled cheesecake out of the fridge. Let it stand for 5 minutes before slicing. This process will soften the dulce de leche topping which will make slicing into the cheesecake easier.
Look at how beautiful this slice of pumpkin cheesecake with dulce de leche topping is.
Put a dollop or(rose-tipped decorated) whipped cream on top too if you want.
Entry for Food Friday. 
Cajun Roast Turkey
For our Thanksgiving’s main star of the feast, I decided to use a dry-rub to season the turkey with. I went through my dried herbs basked and concocted my own cajun seasoning just like when I made the cajun fried chicken and cajun beef fajitas and tacos. Since I was cooking a 12-pound bird, I had to double the ingredients so by the time I was done rubbing the turkey and stuck it in the oven to cook, I was sneezing my brains out. Bygones, everything went well and I ended up with a flavorful and moist turkey in the end.
| Cajun Roast Turkey |
- 12-pound turkey
- 2 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp dried basil
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 stick of butter
- 2 sheets of foil
- Preheat the oven to 325°
- Make sure to take out the neck and the bag of innards located inside the turkey.
- Combine all the seasonings together in a bowl. Sprinkle and rub some of the seasonings inside the turkey. Stick two fingers underneath the skin-breast sides, season the top too. Do the same on the outside making sure to rub every wrinkle and parts of the turkey. Slice butter in small pieces to dot the turkey with. This will give the turkey skin a nice color and crispy texture.
- Cover the turkey with the sheets of foil. Stick it in the oven to cook for 3 hours. Occasionally baste the turkey with its own juice from the pan.
- After 3 hours, take out the foil, baste one more time, then stick it back into the oven to cook for additional 25 minutes or so. Take it out of the oven after that and let it rest in the counter for 15-20 minutes before slicing into it.
For the gravy: Reserve some of the juices and bits from the turkey pan. Put in a pot to cook in a medium heat, with butter and flour. Whisk together until it forms the rue. Add chicken stock or turkey stock or cream and continue to whisk until it forms a thick yet slightly runny consistency.
Zucchini & Yellow Squash Au Gratin
I wasn’t really sure if I was going to make Zucchini & Yellow Squash Au Gratin as one of the side dishes in our Thanksgiving feast yesterday. I thought it about weeks before but wasn’t firm about it and just told myself to decide on the day itself, depending on the time and my mood. Well, I decided to make it and good thing I did. It’s such a simple side dish to make but it’s really good in a cheesy and creamy way.
| Zucchini & Yellow Squash Au Gratin |
- 1 zucchini, peeled, sliced in rounds
- 1 yellow squash, peeled, sliced in rounds
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of bread crumbs
- salt & pepper
- In a square baking pan, arrange the sliced zucchini and yellow squash. In a bowl, combine the milk, heavy cream and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Pour the whole thing over the zucchini and yellow squash. Top with the remaining cheese, then the bread crumbs. Bake it in the oven, 355° for 20 minutes.
- Cheesy and creamy side dish that you can make anytime, holidays or not.
Our Thanksgiving Feast
I am sooooo full. But then again, all of us say that every year after stuffing ourselves with yummy dishes from Thanksgiving. I decided to wear a dress this year though so that helped a lot in breathing, haha. So this year, I made:
- Cajun seasoned roast turkey
- cornbread casserole
- zucchini & yellow squash au gratin
- mashed potatoes with cream cheese
- sweet potato bread
- green beans casserole
- pumpkin cheesecake with dulce de leche topping
- red velvet cake truffles
Entry for Food Friday.
Thanksgiving Day Recipes
Looking for easy recipes to make for Thanksgiving Day? I’ve curated the recipes from my own Thanksgiving Day Menu throughout the years that I’ve posted in this foodblog for easy access. Just click the links to get the recipes. The print button for each recipe is located underneath the title and in newer posts, it’s also located within the recipe box, top-right.
Strawberry Cake Truffle Pops
I made these strawberry cake truffle pops with my daughter/sous chef for Halloween. I only made them for us though, not to give to the trick-or-treaters since it’s the rule not to take homemade goodies therefore I don’t give out homemade goodies either. Anyhooo, the cake pops are just like the truffles I’ve been making these past weeks except they come in pop sticks form.
You can find the pop sticks at the party and baking aisle at Walmart. A bag of 50 sticks is $2.50. And instead of using regular white chocolate chips for coating, I used the Wilton candy chips which are actually better for coating. They come in different flavors too. Just follow the melting directions from the bag itself. I found the Styrofoam brick from the craft section. You’ll need this to stick the pops in so you could decorate or let the coating set up for a few seconds before drizzling melted chocolate for decorations as well.
As you can see, my decorating skill is less than mediocre. I admit it, I suck at it. My son said he likes the chocolate spiderweb designs. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I wasn’t going for spiderwebs. They just kinda turned out that way, HAHA! Oh well, I tried. I’ll just keep practicing.
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Cajun Spiced Beef Fajitas & Tacos
When I make fajitas or tacos, I usually just season the meat as I cook it. I changed it up a bit the other night by marinating the beef strips in Cajun spices seasonings that I mixed up myself. The entire dinner was really good coz I didn’t just serve the beef as fajitas but as tacos as well. My husband slightly toasted the corn tortillas while I cooked the beef with peppers and onions in between setting up all the condiments for our Mexican dinner.
Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Wings
I stepped away from the usual hot chicken wings and made garlic-parmesan chicken wings instead last night. It worked out fine actually coz I didn’t have to save separate wings for the children since my son doesn’t like spicy food and my daughter is not allowed to have too much spicy food. She’s way too young to be enjoying hot-sauced coated chicken wings. I’ll give her a few more years, heh. The garlic-parmesan version is definitely something the entire family could enjoy.
4th Of July Double-Cheese Sliders
I made these sliders for our 4th of July feast. They’re just like burgers but in smaller sizes that are just too cute to eat. Well, of course we ate them but they’re just cute as buttons I couldn’t help but admire my masterpiece, before I devoured one after another, and another.
Strawberry Banana & Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie
I had an impromptu thought if making a Strawberry Banana & Vanilla Yogurt Smoothie as an after-school snack for my son. It was soooo cute how my daughter opened the fridge to show her big brother what was waiting for him inside.
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