Whisking You a Sweet Holiday Season
The holidays are upon us and it’s my favorite time of year. Time to spend with family and friends and my time to begin thinking of what to bake for gatherings, get-togethers or to give as gifts. Be sure to catch Episode 28 of Grow Your Lyfe on YouTube!
I come from a long line of fantastic cooks and bakers. My mom, along with my aunts and grandmothers, have always made traditional desserts that reflect our Polish and Russian heritage.
As a child, it seemed my favorite place to be was always in the kitchen, especially during the holidays. My mom and aunts would make our favorite desserts such as rugelach, kolachkey, and makoweic. Our kitchen always smelled sweet and there was laughter and music while they all did their part in creating delicious treats for our families and friends.
Cooking and baking is a form of meditation for me, just as yoga, doing art, tending to plants or even work is for others. The best part about baking is sharing it with others and seeing the joy it brings. It also brings people together, whether they’re helping me in the kitchen to create it or simply enjoying it with me as we sit down to relax with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
It inspired me to start a small business when I was living in north Florida years ago and my signature Key Lime Pie was a favorite and all-time best seller.
At this time of year, everyone loves the warmth of the tastes of Autumn, such as apples and pumpkins. One of my favorite, although not so traditional, desserts to make is my Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake. It’s beautiful and combines the best of both worlds...pumpkin pie and cheesecake in one! I’ve included the recipe at the bottom.
As our world changes by the second it seems, I find so much comfort being in the kitchen. Somehow during gatherings, everyone always finds themselves standing in this underrated room where the conversation, the smells, even the warmth of the kitchen lights makes me and everyone present feel instantly calm and at ease.
All of us are busy and trying to navigate the fast-pace of what our lives bring us on a daily basis but finding something you love to do, even if it’s for just a few minutes can reap benefits that will last a lifetime.
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Ingredients:
2 cups Ginger Crisp Cookies
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 (8 oz.) Cream Cheese Softened
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
3 Eggs, Room Temperature
1 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin Pie Filling)
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- dash Ground Cloves (Optional)
Instructions:
Heat oven to 350°F.
Mix ginger snap crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan and 2 inches up the sides.
Beat softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 1 cup plain batter. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.
Spoon half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Repeat layers; swirl gently with knife.
Bake 45 min. or until centre is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours.
Written by: Kelly Ellin