pumpkins and potatoes

Today we took a trip to the Arboretum with friends to visit their pumpkins. Then later this evening we went to the local church pumpkin patch with the Colvins, which has turned into quite the fun tradition. We also enjoyed a nice bowl of potato soup before we left tonight, and thought I'd share a few pics and the recipe.

Hearty Potato Soup
1/4 c. Butter
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 10-oz. Can chicken broth (you can add more to thin out)
2 10-oz. Cans cream of potato soup

2 potatoes, mashed
2 c. Shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp)
1 c. Sour cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Milk (optional - to thin out)

Melt the butter in a 3 quart sauce pan or Dutch oven. Add the green onions and carrots, and sauté until tender. Add the chicken broth and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Throw in your baked potatoes and mash to desired consistency. Then stir in the potato soup, cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Cook low over heat until the cheese melts, stirring to mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add milk if needed for the desired consistency. Serves six.

Happy Fall!

Me Want Now

Got an email from How Does She? today with this little gem in it.

I want it.

I want it now.

I love me some cheesecake and this has my number all over it. Now, I just need to have an event with more than just me and Joe so I won't gorge myself on this beauty... try if you dare and let me know how it is!

Vanilla and Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

1 Graham Cracker Crumb Crust (see recipe below)

2 pounds cream cheese left 3 to 4 hours at room temperature (60 degrees to 70 degrees F, if measured with a food thermometer).

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons whipping cream

3/4 cup Thick Chocolate Truffle Sauce (see recipe below), warmed just until smooth and pourable

Directions:

1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Wrap the outside of the springform pan with crust with a large piece of heavy aluminum foil and place it in a large baking pan with sides at least 2 inches high. (In a ketttle or in the microwave heat 2-3 cups of water to boiling.)

2. Put the cream cheese in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and mix until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour. Add the eggs, two at a time, mixing the batter smooth after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrap the sides of the bowl twice during this mixing. Mix in the vanilla and lemon juice. Mix in the whipping cream. Put 3/4 cup of the batter into a small bowl. Stir in the chocolate truffle sauce

3. Pour about half of the vanilla batter into the prepared springform pan. Reserve 1/4 cup of the chocolate batter and pour the remaining chocolate batter slowly over the vanilla batter. Pour the remaining vanilla batter on top.

4. Use a small spoon to drizzle the reserved chocolate batter over the top of the cheesecake, leaving a 1-inch plain edge. Use the spoon to gently swirl the chocolate batter in a marbelized pattern over the top of the cheesecake.

5. Put the cheesecake in the oven and pour hot water into the large baking pan to reach 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake about 1 hour, or until when you give the cheese cake a gentle shake, the top looks firm. (It usually takes about 75-80 minutes for mine to reach this point.)

6. Cool the cheesecake, covered loosly with paper towels, in the water bath, for 1 hour on a wire rack. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath. Remove the paper towels and cool 1 hour more. The cheesecake should feel cool to the touch. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, at least 6 hours or overnight.

7. I topped this with more of the chocolate truffle sauce, whipping cream (be careful not to over mix and make butter), and sprinkled with raspberries. I also added a raspberry puree to the plate to help balance the richness of the cheesecake (see recipe below).

*cheesecake recipe has been modified from Elinor Klivans ‘Bake and Freeze Chocolate Desserts‘ Recipe Book. {It’s amazing}

Cookie Crumb Crust

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the baking dish. Sprinform pans should have sides at least 2 3/4 -inches high.

2. Put the cookie crumbs in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir the mixture intil the crumbs are evenly moistened with the butter. Transfer the crumbs to the baking dish. Using your fingers, press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides. Check to see that with crust is not too thick where the sides and the edges of the pan meet. Bake the crust for 6 minutes.

3. Cool the crust thoroughly before filling. Crumb crusts can be baked a day ahead, covered and stored overnight at room temperature.

Chocolate Truffle Sauce

3/4 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into two pieces

12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Put the cream and butter in a medium sauce pan and heat over meduim-low heat until the cream is hot and the butter is melted. THe hot cream mixture will form tiny bubbles and measure about 175 degrees F. on a food thermometer. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and let it melt into the hot cream mixture. for about 30 seconds to soften. Add vanilla and whisk the sauce until it is smooth and all of the chocolate is melted.

Raspberry Puree

2 cups raspberries

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Place raspberries in a blender and blend slightly. Pour them into a strainer and mash through until you have only seeds left in the strainer. Add sugar and lemon juice. Stir until smooth.