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.