Work Christmas Party

It's always great during the holidays. Work seems a little easier and parties make the days go by smoothly. For the holiday office party this year we had a snowman contest (pic above), but this is not what the post is about so I will get on with it.

For this event I created a pumpkin cheesecake with eggnog cream. It was extremely fantastic. Below is the recipe. Enjoy!!

Eggnog whip cream.

Use 1 pt. whipping cream and whip on high until it forms soft peaks. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar (or more to taste) and 4 drops of eggnog flavoring (can be found at specialty cooking stores). Continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Spread over top of cheese cake at end.

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup finely ground pecans

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Three 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 ½ cups sugar

2 Tbs cornstarch

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

One 15-oz can solid-pack pumpkin puree

½ cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Combine the cracker crumbs, pecan, brown sugar, and ½ tsp of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Mix in the melted butter. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of an un-greased 9-inch spring form pan.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, the remaining ½ tsp cinnamon, and the nutmeg in the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed until smooth an fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and yolks and beat just until blended. Mix in the pumpkin and cream. Spread the batter in the pan, and place it on a baking sheet.

Bake until the center is nearly set, 60 to 70 min. Cool on a wire rack for 15 min.

Carefully run a sharp knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Remove the sides of the pan. Cool completely on the rack before covering tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate until well chilled before serving, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Homemade Marshmallows

Raspberry Marshmallows

Hello all, it's that time again when we break out the cooking gear and get to making presents and baskets for all. This year instead of the cookies or cakes or candies I thought what would be a better way to celebrate the cold weather than to create homemade hot chocolate and marshmallows. Recipe as follows.

Ingredients

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice cold water, divided
• 12 ounces granulated sugar approximately 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Nonstick spray

Directions

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

For regular marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

For miniature marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray and dust with the confectioners' sugar mixture.

Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Pipe the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans lengthwise, leaving about 1-inch between each strip. Sprinkle the tops with enough of the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture to lightly cover. Let the strips set for 4 hours or up to overnight.

Cut into 1/2 inch pieces using a pizza wheel or scissors dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture and store in an airtight container for up to a week.