The Dessert Blog

If you’re serving a gourmet cheesecakewith the meal, I endorse taking the extra step of considering the presentation of the cake. We get enjoyment from our food with our eyes, in addition to our taste buds. Always experiment, but here are a handful of ideas to get you started.

New York Cheesecake: This is what most people would think of as the plain or “unflavored” cheesecake. Frankly, it is anything but! However, the taste is one that will adjust well to almost all additions. Well, maybe not broccoli! I recommend that you should consider complimenting the richness of this versatile cheesecake by putting a generous serving of hot fudge around the serving plate.

Blueberry Cheesecake: Purchase a high quality blueberry preserve. Stir in enough lemon juice to dilute the preserves so that it will come off a teaspoon on its own. Drizzle the diluted preserves in a zigzag pattern across the cake. The tartness of the lemon juice will provide a nice counterpoint to the sweet taste of the preserves and cake.

Turtle Cheesecake: This cheesecake has a variety of flavors incorporated, so it’s a good idea not to try to add yet another one. Instead, place just a few flower petals around the platter to add to the appearance. Yellow petals particularly enhance the color of the cake.

Pumpkin Cheesecake, a holiday season favorite, is even smoother than the more traditional pumpkin pie. Cut a festive hole in some paper–tree shaped or a five pointed star. Center the paper over the top of the slice. In the hole, gently shake cinnamon.

Sugar Free Cheesecakes–no sugar added: No matter what the flavor of the cheesecake, a mint sprig on top of the widest part of the dessert, will dress it up wonderfully without additional sugar.

The presentation is impacted not just by what’s on the plate but additionally by the nature of the platter, itself. Certainly, the small plates that are part of your china set will do the job. But the expanded storage space in modern pantries allow many hosts and hostesses to keep specialty plates. People have individual salt servers and soup crocks, as opposed to the typical bowls. Why not get special serving pieces that you use only for the special dessert celebrations?The appearance is affected not only by the contents of the dish but additionally by the nature of the platter, itself. Certainly, the small plates that are part of your china set will serve your purpose. But the additional storage areas in modern homes permit many of us to keep specialty plates. Many people have unique salsa and chip servers, instead of the old fashioned bowls. Why not get special serving pieces that you use for those spectacular dessert celebrations?

Cheesecakes are a wonderful–and slightly expensive–ending to a fine meal or a casual picnic. Dedicate just a little your planning time to highlight the elegance of this remarkable delicacy with your signature touches.

This Thanksgiving dessert is super easy. You can throw the pumpkin dessert squares together in just a few minutes. With canned pumpkin, yellow cake mix and a few other ingredients, you can create this delightfully delicious treat.

We all have our favorite recipes that we serve year after year – our tried and true favorites. This recipe for Pumpkin Dessert Squares just might become one of yours. It’s the perfect dessert for fall because it’s simple to make, serves a crowd, and comes out of the pan smoothly in neat pieces that are impressive to set before your guests at the dinner table.

PUMPKIN DESSERT SQUARES

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 egg
2/3 c. milk
2 eggs
1 large can pumpkin (for pumpkin pie)
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter

Grease bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Set aside 1 cup of the yellow cake mix.

For the crust: Combine the remaining cake mix, 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 egg. Press into pan.

For the filling: Combine canned pumpkin, 2 eggs and milk; stir until smooth. Pour over crust.

For topping: Combine reserved cake mix, sugar, cinnamon and 1/4 cup of butter. Sprinkle over filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Serve with whipped topping.

When you want to make something a bit more surprising than the traditional pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving or Christmas, these dessert squares are a delicious and unexpected alternative.

Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer and owner of the Three Angels Gourmet Co. Visit the company blog at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.blogspot.com for daily food tips or the Three Angels website at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.com to order “heavenly gourmet mixes.”

Here is another Thanksgiving dessert made with pumpkin. This time the recipe calls for cream cheese. Imagine the wonderful taste of pumpkin mixed with the rich creaminess of cream cheese. Mmmmmm. Now, stop imagining and run to the kitchen to make this delightful Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake.

When it comes to making a dessert for our Thanksgiving holiday meal, I enjoy baking a homemade pumpkin cake with a delicious cream cheese filling.

This cake will take some time to make, but your time will be well spent. I guarantee you that you will get a lot of compliments from your family and friends once they taste it. If you have any left-overs, you will want to store them in an airtight container inside your refrigerator.

Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Cake Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
3/4 cup solid packed pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a deep dish cake pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, until they are well combined; set aside. In another large bowl, cream together the granulated sugar and softened butter, until they are creamy. Add in the eggs, pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla extract, beating well after each addition. Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredient mixture, mixing well until all ingredients are combined.

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a medium-sized bowl, whip together the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar until smooth. Spread 2 1/2 cups of cake batter evenly over bottom of your cake pan. Spoon cream cheese filling evenly over the cake batter. Carefully spread it across the cake batter using a silicone or rubber spatula. Spoon remaining cake batter over cream cheese filling, spread evenly using a silicone spatula. Bake in your preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean. (test the center of the cake.) Cool completely before adding the topping.

Topping Ingredients:

confectioner’s sugar
frozen whipped topping, thawed

A few minutes before serving the pumpkin cake, sprinkle your desired amount of confectioner’s sugar on top. Cut cake into desired serving pieces and top with a dollop of whipped topping.

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. Shelly enjoys cooking and baking for her friends and family. You can visit Shelly online at http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com or her recipe and cooking blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for additional free recipes.