Double Layer Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake

So, I made a thing:  

Pardon my crappy pictures, but I took them just a little bit ago.  It's 4:23 am right now.

I think the drink is vile, but I thought it would translate well to cheesecake form.  It did!  OMG this cheesecake is sooooooooo creamy and rich. I didn't use too much sugar, either.  You can kind of see the individual layers, but the colors are pretty similar.

Crust:

·         1 box gingersnaps, finely crushed  (I had about 1 ½ cups of crumbs)

·         6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Mix butter and gingersnap crumbs and press into bottom and partially up the sides of a 9” spring form pan.

Latte Layer:

·         20 oz. softened cream cheese (2 ½ packages)

·         2 eggs

·         ½ cup sour cream

·         1 ½ tablespoons espresso powder

·         1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

·         ¾ cup sugar

Pumpkin Spice Layer:

·         20 oz. softened cream cheese

·         2 eggs

·         ½ cup sour cream

·         1 8-oz. can pumpkin puree

·         1 cup sugar

·         1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

·         1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Combine ingredients for latte layer until smooth.  A food processor works best.  Spoon into the crust.

Combine ingredients for pumpkin spice layer until smooth. Spoon evenly and gently on top of latte layer.

Wrap bottom of pan in foil Place pan in a water bath.  I used a large skillet for this, but you could use a roasting pan or whatever the spring form will fit in.  (Heat some water and pour about ½ - ¾ inch into the other pan.)

Bake cheesecake at 325 for about  1 ¾ hours, until middle is set.  Run a knife around the edge. Remove from roasting pan/skillet.  Cool.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.   

Sun and Moon Dessert

This is a Turkish recipe that combines elements of fire with water. It features pumpkin, which is perfect for Mabon and Samhain. Eat it at the equinox to celebrate balance. It's good any time you want to balance masculine and feminine energies.


Kabak Tatlisi

Ingredients:
1 smallish pumpkin*, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces (Moon, Earth, healing, money)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water

* you want a good pound of pumpkin pieces. You can also use butternut squash, which is also a Sun-ruled vegetable.

Crushed hazelnuts (Sun, Air, wisdom, conscious mind, fertility)
Tahini (sesame paste) (Sun, Fire, Sex, fertility, money, protection)

Place the chunks of pumpkin in a large pot. Sprinkle with sugar. Let this set for several hours, until some of the liquid from the pumpkin has drained. Add extra water if needed.

Cook the pumpkin uncovered on medium-low heat until tender, approximately 30-40 minutes. The pieces of pumpkin will be darker in color and most of the liquid will be gone.

To serve, plate up the pumpkin pieces, pour on tahini and sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts.

This can also be served with clotted cream and grated pistachios in place of the tahini and hazelnuts, but this is the version I prefer.

"Lady of the silver moon
Lord of the golden sun
I take both energies within me
And make them one"

Leftover Magic

Thanksgiving leftovers? Never fear, the kitchen witch is here! I wasn’t able to enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving feast this year, but I am still here with ways for you to use up some of the leftover food you may have, and stir up some witchin’ in the kitchen to boot.

The following soup is just the thing to lift you out of the post-Thanksgiving slump. In fact, it’s good for helping lift you out of the winter doldrums, so it’s a good one to hang on to until spring. Plus, being a spicy soup, it’s good not only for warming and protection, but you can also serve it at Imbolc.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

First, let’s talk about that pumpkin. As we have discussed before, this is an excellent symbol of the harvest. Its round shape represents fertility and abundance. The seeds are also symbols of fertility and can be toasted and eaten, or dried and marked with runes for divination. If you like to do things the slower way, maybe you’ve purchased a pumpkin and roasted it yourself. If so, good for you. Roasting the pumpkin intensifies the flavor and brings out a lovely sweetness. If you’re short on time, however, canned or raw pumpkin will work just as well. This recipe is partially about the spice.

Ingredients:
2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
1 hot red chili, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ½ cups pumpkin (used canned or roasted, whichever you have)
3 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
3 tablespoons butter or oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, melt butter and cook onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili, and spices. Stir to coat everything with the spice mixture and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the pumpkin, water and broth and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes. Add the coconut milk and continue simmering for another 5-10 minutes. Puree the soup in batches in your blender or use a stick immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. Soup can be thinned with a little extra water or stock if it’s too thick for your liking.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro leaves if desired.

Not in the mood for soup? You can also turn this into a satisfying, chunky curry to serve over rice. Use cubes of roasted pumpkin instead of canned, and omit the water and stock, keeping the coconut milk.

Fruits of the Season - Pumpkin

Okay, technically pumpkins are vegetables, but "Vegetables of the Season" didn't sound as good.

What's more autumnal than pumpkin? Who can picture October, especially Halloween/Samhain, without a carved pumpkin or two on the front porch? What would Thanksgiving be without pumpkin pie? When many people think of fall, they think of pumpkins.

Pumpkins, round and orange like the Harvest Moon, are ruled by (surprise, surprise)the Moon. Their element is earth, and the energies associated with the pumpkin are money and healing. They are also used for protection, especially when a spooky face is carved into the flesh.

As many of you probably already know, the modern jack o'lantern is a take on the turnips that were carved and used to scare away evil spirits. The Irish didn't have pumpkins until they emigrated to North America. I guess they made the switch because pumpkins are a lot easier to carve than turnips!

The round, full shape of the pumpkin is symbolic of the Mother Goddess and represents fruitfulness. Decorate or carve a pumpkin for prosperity or protection, and then use the seeds as divination tools on Samhain. The seeds can be toasted and eaten as a tasty snack, or you can use a felt-tip marker to draw runes on them.

From a culinary perspective, pumpkins are good for more than just pie. Pumpkin soup is a warming, nourishing dish to serve at Samhain. Remember to leave some for the spirits of your ancestors if you set up an altar. A pumpkin pie can be a delicious way of attracting money when cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg are added to the mix. I will share a few pumpkin recipes in the next post.