Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger & White Chocolate

The past week’s weather here in the Midwest has been absolutely spectacular! It has allowed me to wear a pair of jeans with open-toed shoes, and maybe a light sweater in the early mornings and evenings – which I LOVE. And the color in our foliage this year has been nothing short of breathtaking. Be sure to read on after the pumpkin cheesecake recipe for a fall tradition my parents started, and that I continue to this day with our own girls!

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I came across a new pumpkin cheesecake recipe recently, and it was just too good to not share with you! This Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger & White Chocolate has a pumpkin cream cheese base, no crust (I didn’t know if I would like a crustless cheesecake, but I did!), and a crunchy, sweet, and salty topping. The candied ginger in the topping is especially lovely, and was the perfect way for me to try it out after purchasing a bag at Penzeys a few months ago.

I changed up the recipe quite a bit from what was featured in the Real Food Magazine that I snatched up at Byerlys a month ago. Besides adding a larger quantity and variety of fall spices, I also altered it to bake in a regular 9″x9″ pan. The recipe called for a square pan with a removable bottom, which I didn’t have, and I didn’t feel like buying. The method included in my recipe works beautifully, no special pan involved. This pumpkin cheesecake bakes and slices like a dream, and was a big hit when I brought it into the office. I know your upcoming Thanksgiving feast would welcome its presence.

Be sure to also check out my

Perfectly Perfect Pumpkin Cheesecake

with a gingersnap crust!

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As much as I don’t like letting go of summer, fall is pretty hard to resist. Especially with what we’ve been blessed with lately in warm temperatures and bold pops of autumnal color.

This time of year brings about a tradition I like to uphold with our girls in the form of a fall nature walk. Back when my sisters and I were young, Dad and Mom would slide us across the bench seats in the ol’ blue Ford Galaxy and tuck a cooler, blanket, and a couple plastic ice cream pails in the trunk. We were giddy, off for a walking adventure through the groves and grasses of nearby Cottonwood Lake, a State Wildlife Management Area in the northeast corner of South Dakota.

This is the earliest photo I could find of our fall walks. See the bucket Dad’s carrying? That was for all our found treasures. My favorite finds were rocks with sparkles and little glass bottles (extra points if the glass was blue or green).

This photo of Dad and Mom was taken one year later. I remember vividly taking that shot, feeling so big and proud as I centered my parents in the viewfinder.

My younger sisters that same year…

Then fast forward to having children of our own. I started up the tradition again when Hatti was 4 years old. As I packed a picnic lunch, Hatti loaded her little pink backpack with goodies, including binoculars, a paper tablet, and crayons. We set off for our local park at the end of the street.

The artist in her plopped right down in the middle of the leaf-strewn walking trail so she could do immediate leaf rubbings. I can still hear her softly humming.

This past weekend, I snapped a photo of our latest fall walk, with Hatti now having a sisterly companion, just as I did. The bucket provided a vessel for their collection of interesting finds, while Tessa’s bullet-deflecting bracelets and Hatti’s sword, coupled with her renowned wisdom and military strategy, kept me safe on the trails. The girls had been getting their Halloween costumes ready prior to our outing, and took their key pieces with. You know, to keep the bad guys away.  ;)

 Do you have a favorite fall tradition?
I’d love to hear about it!