This chapter is going to take a while so here's a Thanksgiving recipe I found and then made a bit better

100 words in so that's good, the first push on a chapter takes the longest but I also have been helping my mom with Thanksgiving so that has taken up a lot of my time recently.

To make up that unfortunate circumstance here's my recipe for pumpkin cheesecake. And general notes on how to make it cause why do I write Pinkie really well on baking stuff?

I know how to bake- its the thing I know the most of in the kitchen. Its fun and mostly calming and sure I am not proficient with actual meat preparation but give me enough time (because of my disability it does tend to take longer because of breaks necessary for resting my legs cause that's fun) but I could in effect bake stuff just fine. Though that is probably a mix of following directions nearly to the letter and timing stuff super close to perfect with like two timers cause I am not going to have a ruined cake or burned stuff I have better things to do than make bad treats.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Makes 12 to 16 servings
INGREDIENTS

Crust

9 whole graham crackers (about 4 ounces), broken (or about one little package of a box of those- they tend to come in packs of nine crackers in each wrapped thing- though check and adding another cracker could be better since covering the bottom of the pan can be difficult if you don't do it. Also crush these crackers to a fine crumble cause it makes it easier to cover the bottom of the pan.

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon- Adding cinnamon to the crust makes it smell really good and it makes the crust have a flavor that compliments the pumpkin

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Filling

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

one 15-ounce can pure pumpkin

1 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

PREPARATION

For crust:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Wrap double layer of heavy-duty foil around outside of 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Combine graham crackers, sugar, and cinnamon in processor. Blend until graham crackers are very finely ground. Drizzle butter over. Using on/off turns, blend until crumbs begin to stick together. Press crumbs onto bottom (not sides) of springform pan. Bake until crust is slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add pumpkin and remaining 7 ingredients. Beat just until blended. Pour filling into prepared crust. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Add enough water to come halfway up sides of springform pan.

Note: springform pans are a common thing for cheesecakes. They can be used for other things but if you need to make a cheesecake the kind of fancy way, you will need one of these. It's kind of a goofy looking thing. Also the water bath is to let it set up or something- its a weird little thing but if you want a cheesecake that isn't made of like jello pudding or something then water bath it is. The good thing about the pans is that the sides can lift off which if done correctly can make getting a cheesecake out pretty simple.

Bake cheesecake until slightly puffed and softly set and top is golden, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer springform pan to rack and cool. Cover and refrigerate cake overnight.

Using knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Cut cheesecake into wedges and serve.