The last few weeks have been a complete whirlwind between work and travel. From the slow days of summer, to the non-stop early mornings and late nights at work post-vacation, it’s been hard to find time to blog. No excuse is a good excuse, but there you have it – why I haven’t posted in a few weeks.
In an attempt to use up the last slow days of summer, I decided I needed to get out and breathe some new air (that would be my foreign translation of change of pace) and visit some people that are near and dear to my heart. Where did I go? Amman and Paris for a 2 ½ week eating tour, basically. All I did was eat. I made sure to get all my Arabic food cravings satisfied in Amman – falafel, knafeh, fresh figs… just to name a few. And I pretty much lived on pastries, bread and cheese in Paris.
#LoveJo
Jordan, holds one of the 7 wonders of the world and also has a very special place in my heart. Family and friends, they’re who really make a visit to Amman worthwhile.
#Paris
The city of love. Lucky for me, I spent my time there with one of my best friends, Nonzi. The absolutely amazing host that she is, she took me all over the city so that I could experience it like a Parisian – with a little bit of tourism sprinkled in.
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Since I’ve gotten back, post work craziness, I got right to baking. I have baked more cheesecakes in the last week than I have in my entire life!
Ingredients
- 10 Graham Crackers, crushed
- ½ stick Salted Butter, melted
- Cinnamon
- 1 15oz can Pumpkin Puree
- 1 cup Sugar
- 3 8oz packages Cream Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 4 Eggs
- 1 ½ cups Pecans, crushed
- Cinnamon, to taste
- 1 cup Sugar
- Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Crush the graham crackers and mix with butter until combined
- Press the graham crackers into a spring form pan
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven
- Use a mixer to combine pumpkin puree, cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin pie spice
- Mix until smooth
- Add the eggs and continue mixing on low speed until smooth
- Pour the filling on top of the crust
- Bake for 55 minutes
- Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to cool down with the oven
- Remove from oven and continue cooling on a cooling rack
- Refrigerate overnight
- In a small saucepan, mix together the crushed pecans, sugar, cinnamon and a few drops of lemon juice on high
- Remove from the pan and place on a parchment-lined baking tray, bake for 10 minutes on 350 F
- Sprinkle over the cheesecake
