Cranberry Cream Mold

 

Cranberry Cream Mold

2 c. cranberry juice cocktail

1/4 c. sugar

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 c. cold water

1 1/2 T. lemon juice

1 c. whipping cream

Combine cranberry juice and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil until juice is reduced to 1 cup. (I usually stand a spoon in the juice before it boils and see where it rises on the spoon and then measure it that way--eyeballing it until it is reduced to half its former volume.)

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water, let stand 1 minute. Add gelatin mixture and lemon juice to cranberry mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat. Chill until the consistency of egg white.

Whip cream until stiff. Beat gelatin mixture at medium speed until light and fluffy. Fold into cream. Spoon mixture into lightly oiled 4 cup mold. Cover and chill until set. Quickly dip mold in hot water to loosen, place serving plate on top of mold, invert and serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

 Pumpkin Cheesecake                            Cuisine at Home, December 2007

For the crust:

about 24 small Crisp Ginger Cookies (enough to make 1 c. crumbs) (recipe below)
4 graham crackers (enough to make 1/2 c. crumbs)
1/2 c. pecan halves or pieces, toasted
3 T. butter, melted
2 T. sugar

Spray bottom of 9" springform pan with cooking spray. Process ginger cookies in food processor until fine, transfer to bowl. Process crackers until fine, add to cookie crumbs. Pulse nuts until chopped fine. Add to crumbs. Stir in butter & sugar until sandy. Press into bottom and 1" up side of springform pan. Bake 10 minutes in 350 degree oven, or until golden. Remove & cool.

For filling:

3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 (generous) t. vanilla
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 - 2 T. juice)

Beat cream cheese & sugar in bowl until fluffy. Add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, spice & lemon juice. Beat until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl periodically.

Pour filling over crust and bake 50 - 55 minutes or until sides are set but center is still slightly jiggly. Remove cheesecake from oven, but leave oven on.

For topping:

1 1/2 c. sour cream
1/3 c. pure maple syrup

Whisk sour cream & syrup together in small bowl. Carefully spread topping over cheesecake, return to oven. Bake 15 minutes, or until set. Turn off oven. Crack oven door & leave cheesecake inside for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool to room temperature, then cover loosely with plastic wrap & chill over night.

Crisp Ginger Cookies                    Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1989 edition

Combine together:
1/3 c. Grandma's Original Unsulphered Molasses
1/4 c. shortening
2 T. packed brown sugar
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
heaping 1/4 t. ground cinnamon
heaping 1/4 t. ground ginger
heaping 1/4 t. ground cloves
dash of nutmeg
dash of allspice

Mix molasses, shortening & sugar together. Add remaining ingredients. Combine with hands and shape into balls. Place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Mash balls with bottom of flat cup or glass which has been covered with thin layer of shortening & dipped in sugar. Bake 350 oven about 8 - 10 minutes. If rolled with rolling pin into thinner cookies, bake 5 minutes. Cool.

(This is the recipe I use for gingerbread houses)