Pumpkin Cheesecake with Triple Ginger Crust and Cookbook Review

I received an email a few weeks ago asking if I would be interested in reviewing a new cookbook. Pffft, any time I can get a free cookbook I am all over it. It was a pleasant surprise to see that it actually was a new book that I had been reading about. I saw it in Safeway yesterday. And it is Canadian to boot. These gals have a popular blog called the Sweet Potato Chronicles. They are/were young working mom's on a mission to feed their family right.

Anytime a delivery truck comes to my house it is an occasion. It is always food related. I buy a lot of my market ingredients online and also sometimes purchase kitchen gadgets over the internet. Well, okay, not just sometimes! I am on a constant search for cooking and baking things.











My most recent acquisitions are a linen couche used in rising baguette, a lame or in English it is a

blade for scoring bread and the most adorable beehive cookie cutter. The cookie cutter is a gift for my market friend, Brenda from Prairie Fields Honey. My winter project is to perfect a cookie recipe for her so she can sell honey cookies in the shape of a beehive. Cool, eh? Check out Provisions by Duchess Bakery in Edmonton. They have an online store and ship quickly.

Anyhoo, back to the cookbook. It's a lovely book. Tons of really good pictures of food. A lot of the recipes are a little juvenile for me, but that is what it is all about. The recipes need to be kid friendly. I love the pictures, I really do but when it gets to be a family photo album and all those barefeet in the kitchen it distracts me from the purpose of the book. There are a few interesting recipes for the older children, the teens, but no mention of how to involve them in healthy meals. Why are they always left out? So this brings to mind the purpose of a cookbook, any cookbook.

This book offers no training on cooking skills, only recipes. What I have learned from one young woman with children is that none of her friends know how to cook. They want to learn some skills.

Then I think to myself. Self, who would I go to for good solid nutrition information? A nutritionist, a dietitian, a naturopathic doctor, a fashion magazine director? Hmmm.

The first recipe I tried was the pumpkin cheesecake. I was writing a newspaper article for Thanksgiving and thought this would be appropriate. But actually, by the time I finished, the cheesecake bore no resemblance to the recipe I started with. Their recipe was great inspiration and my mind just took off in another direction. I promise that I will try again! 


This is my version of their pumpkin cheesecake.
 

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Triple Ginger Crust

Crust

6 tbsp. melted butter 60 mL

1 1/2 c. graham crumbs 375 mL

2 tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger 30 mL

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger 15 mL

1/2 tsp. ground ginger 3 mL

Filling

8 oz. cream cheese 225 gm

2/3 c. mascarpone cheese 80 mL

1/4 c. brown sugar 60 mL

1/2 c. pumpkin puree 125 mL

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract 5 mL

1.4 tsp. ground ginger 1 mL

Pinch ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).

For the crust, place all ingredients into a food processor and process until finely ground. Press 3 tablespoons (45 mL) into each jar.

For the filling, beat all the ingredients in a food processor or with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Pour a generous 1/4 c. (60 mL) filling over crusts. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheesecakes are firm. Cool and serve. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a piece of crystallized ginger or pumpkin seed brittle. Makes 8 – 250 mL jars or one 9-inch (24 cm) cake. Bake a 9-inch cheesecake for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in filling comes out clean.