Happy "Every Day is a Day of Thanksgiving"! Forgive me for falling off the map! I've been out of the loop lately, spending quality time with my family on the East Coast. Enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner with the parental units, a beloved sister and my only brother (with his beautiful family). We went "turkey-less" and dined on marinated salmon with mustard sauce, "potatisstomp"(a messier Swedish version of mashed potatoes) and Pumpkin Cheesecake.

Delightfully, we were invited to our neighbors in Santa Fe for a "real" Thanksgiving and partook of a most amazing feast – turkey, stuffing and all the fixin's. The Pigtailed Baker contributed to the festivities with yet another pumpkin cheesecake, crunchy brussels sprouts with bacon and maple syrup, and my favorite Swedish dish, "rotmos" (literally translated - and not particularly poetic - "root veggie mush" 😁). Every Swede has a recipe for this one, so will not include it in this post.

I never met a brussels sprout that I didn't like!

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Maple Syrup (easy peasy and so delish!)

Fry 12 oz (340 g) bacon in a frying pan until super crispy. Drain on a paper towel and save the grease. Toss a pound (1/2 kilo) brussels sprouts in the frying pan with bacon grease. Fry on low heat until golden. (20-25 minutes) Add one tablespoon maple syrup and stir. Top with the chopped, crispy bacon.

While you're waiting for the turkey and all the fixin's, enjoy an Old Fashioned.

1 teaspoon (5g) superfine sugar (or 1 sugar cube)
2 to 3 dashes bitters
2 ounces (60ml) bourbon or rye whiskey
Orange and/or cherry, to garnish (optional)
Place sugar in an Old Fashioned glass. Douse with bitters and add a few drops of water. Add whiskey and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add several large ice cubes and stir rapidly with a bar spoon to chill. Garnish, if you like, with a slice of orange and/or a cherry.

Sweet Potato (or Pumpkin) Pecan Cheescake

Ingredients:

25 Ginger Snap cookies (crushed finely in a food processor)

Half a stick (60 g) unsalted butter, melted

2 pounds (900 g) Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1 cup (2 1/2 dl) sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped, cooked, and mashed (or 2 cups/5 dl canned pumpkin purrée

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup (2 1/2 dl) brown sugar

1/3 cup (3/4 dl) whipping cream

1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter

1 cup (2 1/2 dl) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup (1/2 dl) dark syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups (5 dl) pecan halves

Crust: Crush the cookies finely in a food processor. Pour into a spring pan and add the melted butter. Using your fingers, press the crust into the pan firmly. Make sure the crust is evenly distributed in the pan. Bake at 350 °F (175°C) for 8 minutes. Let cool for 15-20 minutes.

Filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, until just blended after each addition. Add the mashed sweet potatoes or pumpkin purée and lemon juice and beat until creamy. Pour into crust. Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 60-70 minutes. Turn off oven and let cheesecake rest for 20 minutes. Cool for an hour. Cover and chill for 8-24 hours in the fridge.

Topping: Bring the brown sugar, cream, and butter to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring often. Boil, stirring occasionally for one minute. Remove from heat and gradually whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pour on cheesecake.

Pecans: Combine the syrup and sugar in a mixing small mixing bowl. Add the pecans and stir until pecans are evenly coated. Spread the pecans evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes, stirring every three minutes, Cool completely.

Garnish the cheesecake with pecans. Dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon.