A spicy cheesecake for a white Christmas with friends....

~ Spicy Kabocha Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust ~


This recipe is an extention to a previous article on Kabocha.
"Giving Thanks with Kabocha....the Japanese Pumpkin...."


Crust:
1 3/4 cups ginger snap crust
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:
500g cream cheese, at room temperature
100g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup roasted Kabocha, pureed
4 eggs
~2/3 cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of the roasted Kabocha
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger


1. Preheat oven to 350oF.
2. In medium bowl, combine crumbs and melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch cake pan. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, yogourt, sugar and the spices. Beat together until well combined.
4. Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and bake in a waterbath for 45-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


Bon Appetit!

Let's Give the American Classic with an Asian Kick....The Luscious Pecan Pie with Roasted Kabocha!

Recipe: Luscious Pecan Pie with Roasted Kabocha


This article is an extension to a previous post on Kabocha:
"Giving Thanks with Kabocha....the Japanese Pumpkin...."

Since most of us have our favourite recipe for this American Classic, I will not insert a recipe here.

~ Roasted Kabocha ~


1 (~ 2lb) Kabocha
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 tbs Unsalted Butter
4 tbs Brown Sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice


1. Pre-heat the oven to 350oF
2. Split the Kabocha in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds with a spoon
3. Place 1 tbs of butter in each of the halfs, sprinkle evenly with brown sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice
4. Place 1 cinnamon stick in each half and bake for 1 hour
5. "Base" the Kabocha with the melted butter and sugar in its cavity, then bake for another 30 minutes, or until golden


~ Pecan Pie with Kabocha ~

1. Follow your favourite recipe for Pecan Pie, first prepare the crust
2. Slice the roasted Kabocha thinly and evenly spread the slices at the bottom of the crust in one single layer
3. Pour the filling over the Kabocha and decorate it with pecan halfs


4. Bake the Pecan Pie according to the time indicated in your recipe, plus 3-5 minutes



Bon Appetit!

Giving Thanks with Kabocha....the Japanese Pumpkin....

Sugar pumpkins....mm mmmm....often the choice for the luscious yet velvety pie to celebrate the season filled with foliage, and thankful wishes. While roaming the farmer's market that spanned the 3 square blocks of Union Square in NYC, bombarded by stands with farmers proudly displayed various species of squash and pumpkin, I could not pass on this opportunity to conduct experiments with this knobbly-looking one....the Kabocha!


Kabocha is a Japanese variety of winter squash that is commonly known as the Japanese pumpkin. Today many of the kabocha in the market are of the type called Kuri kabocha, which was created based on Seiyo kabocha (buttercup squash). It's popular for its intense yet sweet flavour and moist, fluffy texture, which is similar to its perfect partner, the chestnut.

Kabocha is firm one shaped like a squatty pumpkin, and has a dull finished deep green skin with some celadon-to-white stripes that wraps the an intense yellow-orange flesh within, which often reminds me of sunflowers gazing the setting sun in Italy.


With its amiable flesh comes the explosive package of nutrients; Kabocha is high in carotene and could provide protective effects against vision loss, heart disease, and cancer. It is also a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins C & E and iron, with smaller traces of calcium, folic acid, and minute amounts of B vitamins.

When kabocha is just harvested, it is still growing. Therefore, unlike other vegetables and fruits, freshness is not as important. It should be fully matured first, in order to become flavorful. First, kabocha is ripened in a warm place (77°F) for 13 days, during which some of the starch converts to carbohydrate content. Then it is transferred to a cool place (50°F) and stored for about a month in order to increase its carbohydrate content. In this way the just-harvested, dry, bland-tasting kabocha is transformed into smooth, sweet kabocha. Fully ripened, succulent kabocha will have reddish-yellow flesh and a hard skin with a dry, corky stem. It reaches the peak of ripeness about 1.5–3 months after it is harvested.


With this golden gem roasting in the oven, the experiments begin....

une recette, deux plaisirs délectables! Featuring the marriage between Nature's Pride and Fall Flavours....

A short drive down to Providence R.I. was a scenic treasure saturated with Autumn colours, a mesmerising sight against the heavy traffic. As the weather cools and we begin to layer ourselves with sweaters and scarfs, there is nothing better than waking up on a lazy weekend, with the kitchen filled with harvest aromas.


Nothing speaks more to the Fall weather than the scent of pumpkin, and the inspiration from the colour of Autumn leaves led to a recipe that brings the perfect union between french toast and this orange gourd-like squash. The fluffy cloud texture of french toasts topped with a homemade crunchy Pumpkin Spiced Butter will deliver a harmony on your palate.


If the image of this delectable "Harvest Toast" doesn't inspire you to try this recipe, well I will let slip of this little secret. For those who often stack away the ends of bread in your freezers, or worse, in our landfields, all it takes is just adding one extra ingredient to this Harvest Toast recipe (plus baking time) and your cookie jars will be visited often by your cookie monsters, devouring the treats within!


~ Recipes ~

"Harvest Toast"
Serves 6

12 slices of Nature's Pride bread (works great with both the Hearty and Soft Breads)
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
Juice and zest of 1 medium orange, (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter - for searing toasts
1/2 cup whole pecans
Pumpkin Spiced Butter - see recipe below

To serve:
Dried Cranberries
Pure maple syrup
Powdered sugar
Ginger ice cream

1. Whisk together eggs, milk, juice, vanilla, sugar, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl; set aside
2. Spread a thin layer of Pumpkin Spiced Butter (see recipe below) between 2 slices of bread to form 6 sandwiches
3. Place sandwiches in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold in a single layer. Pour egg mixture over sandwiches and allow them to marinate until they are soaked through
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
5. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Fry 2 sandwiches at a time until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a foiled baking sheet large enough to hold all sandwiches in a single layer. Wipe skillet, and repeat with remaining butter and sandwiches
6. Evenly spread the remaining Pumpkin Spiced Butter over the 6 sandwiches. Sprinkle with whole pecans and place it in the 400 degrees oven for 3-5 minutes or until the butter turns golden brown and crispy
7. Serve the toasts with a generous sprinkling of dried cranberries, drizzle with pure maple syrup and dust with powdered sugar for an elegant finish. This toast is also delightful with a scoop of ginger ice cream as an after dinner treat.


Pumpkin Spiced Butter Recipe:
Serves 6

80g unsalted butter - soften
90g sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
120g unsweetened desiccated coconut
40g almond powder
200g pumpkin butter
1/2 ts pumpkin pie spices

1. Cream butter and sugar in mixer until light and fluffy
2. Scrape down the side of the mixing bowl with a spatula and add eggs while mixer is on low, one at a time, until completely incorporated
3. Scrape down the sides again and mix in the pumpkin butter and pumpkin pie spices
4. Add coconut and almond powder and allow to mix until incorporated


"Harvest Toast - The Cookie Monster Version"
80 cookies


1 batch of Pumpkin Spiced Butter
1 1/2 cup simple sugar syrup (250g sugar dissolved in 250g water)
10 end slices of Nature's Pride Bread* - cut into 8 triangular pieces
(*regular slices also works, works great with both the Hearty and Soft Breads)
1 cup whole pecans - chopped
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Quickly dip the bread pieces into sugar syrup and squeeze out excess. Please pieces on a foiled baking sheets in a single layer
3. Spread the Pumpkin Spiced Butter on the soaked bread pieces, about 1/8" thick
4. Sprinkle chopped pecan over the buttered bread pieces. Gently press the pecan pieces into the Pumpkin Spiced Butter
5. Bake the cookies at the 350 degrees oven for 15 minutes or until just slightly golden. Rotate baking sheets half way through baking
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and allow the cookies to dry out in oven for 4-6 hours or overnight
7. Store cookies in your cookie jars or an air-tight container. They can be stored for up to 2 weeks.