Almost Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake

Almost-Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake

(Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine)

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Inactive Prep Time: 9 hours; Cook Time: 2 hours 24 minutes

Serves: 12

Ingredients

    12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

    2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

    2 3/4 cups sugar

    Salt

    2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

    1/4 cup sour cream

    1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin

    6 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

    1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

    1 teaspoon ground ginger

    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

    2 cups sweetened whipped cream

    1/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter with the crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.

        

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt and the spices and beat until just combined. Pour into the cooled crust.

Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door briefly to let out some heat. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove the springform ring. To finish, place a dollop of the whipped cream on each slice and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.

I made this last Friday and it was so good!!!   I added a little cinnamon to the whipped cream.  I hope you enjoy.

A Better Question?

It is frustrating and confounding.  I know that we need to change, but am unsure how to make that happen.  This morning I was watching “Fox and Friends”; a young man was being interviewed concerning the lack of jobs for young people in our country.  He was troubled about the situation and stated statistics that bore out his concerns.  He was asked, wasn’t it true that young people were a big reason the current president was elected, and what he thought about that.  It was his words in answer that added to my already complete frustration.  He said “This next election, we are going to make sure we elect someone that has our best interests in mind.”

Okay, that is a simple statement and doesn’t seem to be so bad, right?  Let me just ask the question I have wanted to ask for a long time now.  When did it happen?  At one point in our nation, did things go from concerning ourselves with the greater good, to "it’s all about me and my wants and needs"?  It seems everywhere I look, all that I listen to; it is about making sure “I’m looking out for what is best for me”.

George Washington

Thankfully our founding fathers did not have that attitude.  George Washington, our first president said; “I have no other view than to promote the public good, and am unambitious of honors not founded in the approbation of my Country. (George Washington).  He also said; “I have diligently sought the public welfare; and have endeavored to inculcate the same principles in all that are under me. These reflections will be a cordial to my mind as long as I am able to distinguish between Good & Evil.”(George Washington, letter to the Speaker of the House of Burgesses, Dec. 1756)  In much of his writings it was ever apparent that Washington put the good of his new founded nation above his own comforts and desires.

Then there was John Adams who said; “If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind whom should we serve? (John Adams).  Mr Adams also understood that, “The happiness of society is the end of government.” (John Adams)  If we make it about ourselves, our thing, our wants, who gets to decide which one of our “whatever” takes prominence?

John Adams

Can you see where our founder’s hearts and minds were?  They understood what was most important and that is; “what is best for the country?”  For too many decades now we have sought what is best for me, what is best for the group I identify with.  The problem is it cannot and does not work that way and never will.  Let’s face it; we can’t all be happy all the time.  Don’t my “rights” end where yours begin?  If not then what do we stand for, what did our patriarchs fight and die for?  “Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present Generation to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it.” (John Adams)

Isn’t it a given that what is best for my country will be best for me?  What is best for my community will be best for me.  And as we seek this instead of self we can hopefully become much more objective in the choices we make, the votes we cast, and the opinions we so freely share.

The really amazing thing is this can translate into other areas of our lives.  Every relationship we have can be made better and so much more fulfilling if we ask ourselves what is best for…fill in the blank.  In our work places we ask, “What is best for this company?”  In our marriages we don’t demand things be done our way, we ask, “what is best for our marriage?”   In our church we can lay aside thoughts of music preference, dress preference, etc. and ask, “What is best for the church?”  And in every relationship we have they are only made better by asking the same question, “What is best for this relationship?”

If we don’t start asking ourselves this important question we a doomed to a selfish, angry, graceless, ugly society, a world where we become so busy trying to make sure we get our share that we miss everything important.  So let me ask, “What is best for us?”

Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  (4) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”