Wicked Good Pumpkin Cheesecake

Unfortunately I can't take credit for this one at all... Cooks Illustrated, the finest cooking magazine in the world, offered up this jewel in there Fall Entertaining 2009 edition. This is a great alternative for those who are tired of the same old pasty pumpkin pie. It's absolutely fantastic and the texture is as creamy as you can possibly imagine. Bring this to a autumn get together and you'll be the life of the party. The recipe is a little intense but this one is well worth the effort.

If you don't have all the different spices required or simply don't want to buy them all, pumpkin pie spice mix will do just fine. Taking the extra moisture out of the pumpkin is important, so don't skip out on this step. Finally, I've never found unsalted butter to be that vital unless what your making is extremely delicate. This is anything but delicate.... regular butter will do just fine.

Crust
5	ounces graham crackers (9 whole crackers), broken into large pieces
3	tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2	teaspoon ground ginger
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4	teaspoon ground cloves
6	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
Filling
1 1/3	cups granulated sugar (10 1/3 ounces)
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon ground ginger
1/4	teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4	teaspoon ground cloves
1/4	teaspoon allspice
1/2	teaspoon table salt
	1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
1 1/2	pounds cream cheese , cut into 1-inch chunks and left to soften at room temperature, about 30 minutes
1	tablespoon vanilla extract
1	tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon
5	large eggs , left at room temperature, about 30 minutes
1	cup heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan evenly with nonstick cooking spray. Pulse crackers, sugar, and spices in food processor until evenly and finely ground, about fifteen 2-second pulses. Transfer crumbs to medium bowl, drizzle melted butter over, and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Turn crumbs into prepared springform pan and, using hand, spread crumbs into even layer. Using flat-bottomed ramekin or drinking glass, press crumbs evenly into pan bottom, then use a soup spoon to press and smooth crumbs into edges of pan. Bake until fragrant and browned about the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.

2. 2. FOR THE FILLING: Bring about 4 quarts water to simmer in stockpot. Whisk sugar, spices, and salt in small bowl; set aside. To dry pumpkin (see illustrations below): Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Spread pumpkin on paper towels in roughly even layer. Cover pumpkin with second triple layer of paper towels and press firmly until paper towels are saturated. Peel back top layer of towels and discard. Grasp bottom towels and fold pumpkin in half; peel back towels. Repeat and flip pumpkin onto baking sheet; discard towel.

3. 3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat cream cheese at medium speed to break up and soften slightly, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bottom and sides of bowl well with rubber spatula. Add about one third of sugar mixture and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute; scrape bowl and add remaining sugar in two additions, scraping bowl after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat at medium speed until combined, about 45 seconds; scrape bowl. Add 3 eggs and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 1 minute; scrape bowl. Add remaining 2 eggs and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 45 seconds; scrape bowl. Add heavy cream and beat at low speed until combined, about 45 seconds. Using rubber spatula, scrape bottom and sides of bowl and give final stir by hand.
   

4. 4. Set springform pan with cooled crust on 18-inch-square doubled layer heavy-duty foil and wrap bottom and sides with foil; set wrapped springform pan in roasting pan. Pour filling into springform pan and smooth surface; set roasting pan in oven and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until center of cake is slightly wobbly when pan is shaken, and center of cake registers 145 to 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 hours (see note). Set roasting pan on wire rack and use paring knife to loosen cake from sides of pan. Cool until water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath, discard foil, and set on wire rack; continue to cool until barely warm, about 3 hours. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
   

5. 5. TO SERVE: Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving platter. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

   
   

   1. Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Spread pumpkin on paper towels in roughly even layer.2. Cover pumpkin with second triple layer of paper towels and press firmly until paper towels are saturated.

   3. Peel back top layer of towels and discard.

Wicked Good Everything Cookies

One day in high school I had a craving for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, my favorite. I also had a craving for peanut-butter. Although I love peanut-butter I have never been a big fan of plain old peanut-butter cookies. That day when I got home, I did a little sleuthing and found a recipe by Ms. Paula Dean for "monster cookies". The cookies had everything I wanted, peanut-butter, oats, chocolate. They also had a lot of things I didn't want like no flour, raisins, and overly saccharine M&Ms candies. So I set out to correct these issues with my own tinkering and boy did I stumble across some magic. Thus Matt's wicked good everything cookie was born. I have never made these without them being a colossal hit. I don't know if its the proportion of ingredients, the peanut-butter, or the oats that do it, but these are by far and away my favorite cookies on earth. I added flower to the mix and forgo the M&Ms and other mix ins for some more mature fare: premium semi-sweet and white chocolate chunks and toffee pieces. Regardless of what you mix in however, the dough is so delicious that you'll be adapting this recipe for all sorts of applications, (like my almond joy variety). Make sure you blend the dough well at each step, especially with the initial sugar mixture, as giving the sugars a chance to dissolve slightly will result in a better cookie. These cookies bake up dense and chewy with crispy edges. For a real treat, slightly undercook and freeze! Wicked Good!

Wicked Good Everything Cookies

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1 stick of butter, softened

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

1/2 cup white chocolate chunks

1/2 cup heath bar bits (by the candy bar and break them yourself)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups old fashioned outs (not instant)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line sheet pan with foil

In large bowl combine eggs and sugars, mix well. Add salt, vanilla, butter and peanut butter, mix well. (some butter lumps are okay and desired)

Stir in baking soda until well combined.

Add flour and oatmeal, mix until thoroughly mixed and all ingredients are incorporated evenly. Stir in mix ins (chocolate and heath bar) until evenly distributed.

drop desired sized cookies spaced about 2 inches apart on foil lined sheet.

bake 8-10 minutes or until edges start to set and top just starts to turn golden. The center should be craggy and still look wet between cracks. DO NOT OVERBAKE!

let cool and store in plastic bags, preferably in the freezer.

*Wicked Good Almond Joy Variation

Substitute cooked almond butter for peanut butter and add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to dough. Mix in semi-sweet chocolate chunks, almond pieces, and coconut.

Hawaiian Chicken

This family favorite is one from my grandmother's kitchen and the original recipe screams of the 1950s. The tastes of the islands, America’s newest acquisitions, were in vogue. When I was younger I was always excited when my mom made Hawaiian chicken because it used favors that we rarely ate as a family otherwise. Pineapple juice and ginger are what make this dish taste so unique, and an interesting cooking method yields a sticky sweet tangy sauce and moist flavorful chicken. My adaptation adds a few ingredients to round out the depth of flavor in the chicken and further intensify the sauce that the chicken cooks in.

Wicked Good Hawaiian Chicken

I pack boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bunch green onions, whites and greens chopped finely

1-2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled, grated

2 cloves of garlic, smashed or grated

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon honey

Flour to coat chicken

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 6 oz cans pineapple juice plus 1 can pineapple slices in juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, half the green onions, honey, pepper, and sesame oil in large bowl. Add chicken and marinate 30 minutes to overnight.

Preheat pven to 350 degrees. Heat skillet and olive oil over medium high heat until just shimmering.

Remove chicken from marinade. Reserve marinade for later.

coat each piece lightly with flour and quickly brown both sides in skillet. About a minute a side (depending on thickness of breast) Do not cook the chicken through as it will finish in the oven.

Place chicken in an oven safe casserole or Pyrex. Cover with slices of pineapple.

In skillet, add reserved marinade and pineapple juice to deglaze the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes or until sauce bubbles.

Pour skillet “sauce” over chicken and pineapple in casserole.

Top with remaining green onions and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until done.

Serve with rice.

Wicked Good Baked Potato Soup

The Quest For Wicked Good Food....

What is wicked good food? Wicked good food is something that I love. Born and raised in California's San Joaquin Valley, I grew up with no culinary rules. Anything and everything was cooked in my home as long as it tasted good, but my mother tended to stick to more traditional American fare. At a young age I developed a love for all things culinary, and my quest for wicked good food began. As a young college student, I've become what my parents and family call a "food snob" constantly searching for the best way to prepare life's most frequent and enjoyable pleasure, a good meal. I hope you enjoy sharing in my love for delicious cuisine and my quest for the best wicked good food.

Wicked Good Baked Potato Soup

For my first post I thought I'd start with something everyone loves. Nothing warms you up like a hot bowl of soup and this one is a real winner. Everyone has come across potato soup in some form or another, but this recipe has it all: sharp tangy cheese, savory onions, smokey bacon, and rich potatoes all cooked together in a creamy broth. This recipe was developed off the actual Black Angus baked potato soup restaurant recipe. My mom is obsessed with the stuff and after years of asking, she finally received the recipe from a restaurant in Southern California. The recipe uses dehydrated pearl potatoes and other restaurant staples not available to the general public and is on a scale no home cook could manage but also includes a few flavors I wouldn't have thought to add. The recipe below is the result of much trial and error to recreate the famous soup as faithfully as possible (I actually think its even better!) and has become a family favorite and one of my most requested dishes.

4 large baking potatoes

1 sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

4 cups milk

4 cups chicken stock

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

2 tsp dried basil

4 green onions -- chopped

12 slices bacon -- cooked and crumbled

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded

4 ounces sour cream plus enough for garnish

Wash, dry and prick potatoes with fork. Bake in 400°F oven for 1 hour or until done. Let cool. Cut into half lengthwise and scoop out pulp; set aside. Use skins for something else, such as stuffed potato skins. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add garlic, dice onion and sauté onion until translucent and soft. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook until slightly brown (1-2 minutes), stirring constantly. Gradually add milk and stock in alternating cups, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until all liquid is added. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, basil, 2 Tbs. green onion, the bacon and 1 cup cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream. Add extra milk if necessary for desired consistency. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese.