An enchanting White Hot Chocolate made Pumpkin-Spice Style with Trader Joe’s® ethereal Pumpkin Butter and topped with a ‘Cheesecake’ Whipped Cream. Forget about Hot Buttered Rum. And, spiked eggnog for that matter. Just add bourbon, such as Blanton’s® Original Single Barrel Bourbon, and Frangelico® Hazelnut Liqueur to make our spiked version. Both dairy free and gluten free options are included. The perfect hot cocoa for the winter holiday season!

Enchanting Holiday Hot Cocoa:
Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate
with Cheesecake Whipped Cream

Today’s recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake White Hot Cocoa was inspired by The Recipe Girl Cookbook, by Lori Lange and her Classic Hot Cocoa recipe with Cheesecake Whipped Cream. Our hot cocoa is entirely different, but the topping is adapted from Lori’s Cheesecake Whipped Cream.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I am in complete denial that Christmas Eve is tomorrow. Tomorrow, people! My brain is having severe trouble wrapping itself around that fact. I had so many baking recipes to share for the holidays here on the blog—especially Christmas cookies. So, I am thinking of making January ‘Cookie Month’ here at Wicked Good Kitchen. Is that something you would like to see here on the blog? Or, will you be all wrapped up into diet, health and fitness to kick off 2014? Let me know because, right now, I’m feeling pretty wicked!

In fact, I am following Baker Peabody’s lead over at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. She’s a great influence partner in crime, right? I am going to follow the Gregorian calendar and celebrate the holiday season through January 7^th and get back the week I lost due to Thanksgiving being later this year and, oh yes, my camera breaking down on me the day after Thanksgiving. Ha! Take that Father Time.

Well enough talk about what we are all lamenting these days…not believing Christmas is already here! (Honestly, how did that happen?) Let’s talk about a cozy warm mug full of deliciousness beyond words. Beyond.

As I mentioned above, our recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake White Hot Cocoa was inspired by The Recipe Girl Cookbook, by Lori Lange. As soon as I picked up her cookbook this past summer, I’ve had this recipe knocking around in my head.

Lori’s cookbook is full of fabulous everyday and holiday recipes as well as engaging recipe headnotes.

Excerpt from The Recipe Girl Cookbook for Cheesecake Hot Chocolate:

“Picture a cold and windy day, snow falling, fire in the fireplace, and cozying up on your couch with a good book and a warm beverage. Now picture that warm beverage as a rich and wonderful mug full of chocolate, one that will no doubt take care of that chocolate-craving you’ve been having, and now picture the whipped cream on top. Only this whipped cream is a sweetened cream cheese whipped cream much like what you’d find in a cheesecake. This Cheesecake Hot Chocolate makes an awfully pretty picture, don’t you think?”

Are you convinced yet that this hot cocoa, made with white chocolate and topped with Cheesecake Whipped Cream, is nothing short of amazing?

Let me tell you…our Pumpkin Cheesecake White Hot Cocoa is quite magical. Magical because we use Trader Joe’s® Pumpkin Butter which is all-natural, extraordinary tasting it right from the spoon and also makes this recipe incredibly easy to prepare. No need to make and fuss over pumpkin purée simple syrup. Just pop open a jar, dip your spoon in there and stir some pumpkin wicked goodness into your white hot cocoa.

What really makes this recipe stand out from other white hot cocoa recipes is that the ‘Cheesecake’ Whipped Cream topping is made with prepared whipped cream cheese by Philadelphia® brand. In fact, The Big Lug and I use our iSi Cream Whipper to make things more fun and convenient (read: storing leftovers in the fridge) for the holidays.

We did make a few changes to Lori’s recipe. Since most people purchase heavy whipping cream by the half pint (1 cup), or pint (2 cups) our ‘Cheesecake’ Whipped Cream calls for 1 cup (which can easily be doubled) and we adjusted from there with the remaining ingredients and then added pure vanilla extract for a good cheesecake flavor. From there, we added Trader Joe’s® Pumpkin Butter and offered up options for dairy free and gluten free as well as a variation for a spiked version. Your favorite mug has never been filled with such cheer as this hot cocoa!

What makes our recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake White Hot Cocoa wicked good? An enchanting white hot chocolate recipe incorporating White Chocolate by Callebaut®, Trader Joe’s® Pumpkin Butter and Cheesecake Whipped Cream to produce a creamy, white chocolate and perfectly spiced Pumpkin Hot Cocoa. Simply add Blanton’s® Original Single Barrel Bourbon and Frangelico® Hazelnut Liqueur for our sublime spiked version. Dairy-free and gluten-free options included. What’s not to love?

Warmest wishes to you and yours for a Christmas holiday that is both merry and bright!

Cheers!

Pumpkin Cheesecake White Hot Cocoa

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Makes 4 servings.

Description

An enchanting white hot chocolate recipe incorporating White Chocolate by Callebaut®, Trader Joe’s® Pumpkin Butter and Cheesecake Whipped Cream to produce a creamy, white chocolate and perfectly spiced Pumpkin Hot Cocoa. Simply add Blanton’s® Original Single Barrel Bourbon and Frangelico® Hazelnut Liqueur for our sublime spiked version. Dairy-free and gluten-free options included.

Ingredients

For the ‘Cheesecake’ Whipped Cream
1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons (50 grams) granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (44 grams) whipped cream cheese, such as Philadelphia®
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract, such as Nielsen-Massey®
For the Pumpkin White Hot Cocoa
4 cups (960 ml) whole milk
8 ounces (227 grams) white chocolate, such as Callebaut®, chopped
8 tablespoons (144 grams) pumpkin butter, such as Trader Joe’s®
For the Topping Garnishes
Freshly grated whole nutmeg
Caramel sauce
4 cinnamon sticks measuring 4-inches, optional
Special Equipment
Cream Whipper, helpful but not necessary

Directions

Prepare the ‘Cheesecake’ Whipped Cream: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, blend the cream, sugar, cream cheese and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Beat at high speed until the mixture has almost thickened to stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted from the bowl, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
Cream Whipper Method: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, blend the cream, sugar, cream cheese and vanilla together until smooth and creamy and only small flecks of cream cheese remain. (Don’t worry, the cream whipper will take care of those remaining tiny flecks.) Beat at medium-low speed (setting 4 on KitchenAid stand mixer) until thickened but still liquid, about 2 minutes. Pour mixture into cream whipper vessel and charge according to manufacturer’s instructions. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.
Prepare the Pumpkin White Hot Cocoa: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until it is hot to the touch, about 4 minutes. Whisk in white chocolate and stir until it is melted and fully incorporated into the milk. Whisk in pumpkin butter until well blended and heated through. Remove pan from the heat and divide hot cocoa among 4 large mugs. Top each mug with a generous dollop of ‘Cheesecake’ Whipped Cream or dispense from cream whipper.
To Garnish Hot Cocoa: Dust the ‘Cheesecake’ Whipped Cream over the top of each mug with freshly grated whole nutmeg and drizzle with caramel sauce. Add cinnamon stick to each mug. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Tips:

Any milk will work just fine for this recipe. We used whole milk making it nice and rich. Two-percent (2%) milk will make it lighter and skim milk will make it the lightest.

For Gluten Free Option: Use a brand of white chocolate that is known to be gluten free.

For Dairy Free Option: Substitute ½ cup unsweetened almond milk and ½ cup full fat coconut milk per serving for whole milk. Substitute 1 ounce 100% pure cocoa butter, such as Callebaut®, 2 tablespoons organic granulated cane sugar and 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract for each serving (2 ounces) of white chocolate. Over medium heat, melt cocoa butter in saucepan. Add sugar and vanilla; whisk until sugar granules dissolve. Whisk in almond and coconut milks, then pumpkin butter. Heat thoroughly before pouring into mug. Use whipped coconut cream in lieu of ‘Cheesecake’ Whipped Cream and coconut caramel sauce in lieu of caramel sauce. If you do not have an easy recipe for Coconut Caramel Sauce, see our easy component recipe here which makes 1½ cups.

For the Spiked Option: To make Pumpkin-Bourbon-Hazelnut Cheesecake White Hot Cocoa: Add 1 shot of bourbon and liqueur per mug (about 1½ ounces or 3 tablespoons total). We like to add 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) bourbon, such as Blanton’s® Original Single Barrel Bourbon, and 1 tablespoon (½ ounce) Frangelico® Hazelnut Liqueur.

Recipe Inspired by: Cheesecake Hot Chocolate recipe from The Recipe Girl Cookbook, by Lori Lange
Original Recipe Source: WickedGoodKitchen.com

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This delicious recipe brought to you by Wicked Good Kitchen.
http://wickedgoodkitchen.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-white-hot-cocoa-w-options/

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