Pumpkin Maple Pecan Cheesecake

I made this yesterday...so easy and incredibly tasty! Here's the actual website...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-thornton/pumpkin-maple-pecan-cheesecake-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs (from approximately 12 graham crackers)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

3 large eggs, at room temperature for 30 minutes

1/4 cup pure grade B maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Maple Pecan Glaze:

1 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup pure grade B maple syrup

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

For the cheesecake: Finely crush the graham crackers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or use a food processor. In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter, and firmly press into the bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually mix in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth. With the mixer on medium, add the pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well and pour into the springform pan.

Bake until the center appears nearly set, but jiggles a little when shaken, 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Cover and chill overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

For the glaze: In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the whipping cream and pure maple syrup and bring it to a boil. Boil until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chopped pecans. Cover and chill until time to serve. Stir before serving.

To serve: Spoon the Maple Pecan Glaze over the cheesecake.

Banana Heaven

Here's the recipe for the banana bread and caramel sauce I made last night! AWESOME!!! The syrup can also be used on waffles, ice cream, cheesecake, straight from a spoon!

Bread:

1 c sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas
1 t. baking soda
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt

Cream ingredients together. Pour batter into greased and floured loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. For smaller loaves, bake 45 minutes.

Syrup:

1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

In a saucepan combine everything except for vanilla. Bring to a boil. When boiling, stir and continue to boil for 5 minutes (mine took closer to 7 minutes). Remove from heat when caramel in color and add vanilla.

While bread is warm, slice into thick slices. Lightly soak pieces with warm syrup.
Top with ice cream, more warm syrup, fresh bananas and whipped cream.

Thai (Die-For) Sticky Rice and Mangoes

I received a recipe for Thai Sticky Rice, but after making it wasn't sure I liked it. If you've been to The Spice in Ames, their Sticky Rice with Mangoes is to die for. The recipe I had just didn't do it for me. So I changed things a little bit. And I highly recommend steaming the rice, as the first time I made it I cooked it in a double boiler, which I think led to the "bad" rice. Since it's only me eating this, I divided the recipe in half. Below is the full recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups Thai Sticky Rice, uncooked (also called Sweet Rice)
1 (14-oz.) can coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
Fresh mango cubes

1. Rinse rice 3-4 times until water is clear. Soak rice in lots of water overnight. (I rinsed, then put in warm water and let soak for about 5 hours, changing the water once and replacing with warm water.) Drain.

2. Line a steamer basket with cheesecloth and steam the rice for 12 minutes. (My rice cooker has a steamer basket, so I used that and the cheesecloth. The rice will stick to the cheesecloth, so try to get as much off when you add it to the milk mixture, which is the next step.)

3. Meanwhile, heat the coconut milk, sugar and salt over medium-low heat to dissolve sugar. Add the steamed rice and continue to cook for about 10 minutes more. (I had to add some more coconut milk during this time so it wasn't one big clump. I didn't cook for the whole 10 minutes, either.)

4. Serve with mango cubes (either side-by-side on a dessert plate or in a bowl with mangoes on top of rice).

Easter S'mores

I saw these today and just had to try them. If you want to try some yourself, check out how it's done at http://creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter-bunny-smores.html.

Here are the pictures from my assembly.


The cracker crumbs

Cracker crumbs with brown sugar

Cracker crumb/brown sugar mixture in a bag

Bunny Peeps looking out

Instructions for baking

See the many pretty colors!

And I had to bake up a batch, too! (Next time I will try them by cutting up the peeps and making sure I really press the mixture into the pan.)

Peanut Butter Crumb Cakes

I made these to take to Mark's over the weekend. I had 2 6-oz. heart-shaped ramekins, and since it called for 4, I made the other 2 in my pumpkin-shaped ramekins. These are not diet friendly (see nutrition facts below), but I wanted something tasty to take! The way I made them might be slightly less, as I used light PB and 1% milk (it called for 2% milk and regular PB).

Ingredients:

1/3 c. creamy peanut butter (I used light peanut butter)
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. flour
3 T. cold butter
1 egg
1/3 c. milk (I used 1%)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using kitchenaid mixer (or by hand...I just liked the ease of using the mixer), cream peanut butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Stir in the flour. Add butter cut into small chuncks and allow mixer to cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1/3 cup for the topping. Add baking powder and baking soda to the rest of the mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk and vanilla. Stir the milk mixture into the peanut butter mixture just until moistened.

Transfer to four 6-oz. ramekins coated with Pam. Add chocolate chips to reserved peanut butter mixter, and then evenly sprinkle over the four ramekins.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 522 calories, 25 g fat (11 g sat. fat), 77 mg cholestrol, 293 mg sodium, 68 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 11 g protein.

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients:

1 pkg (20 oz.) Oreos
2 pkgs. (ea. 8 oz.) cream cheese
1 pkg. (1.5 lb.) chocolate flavored almond bark

Directions:

Using food processor or blender, crush Oreos. Beat cream cheese in mixer and add crushed Oreos. Beat until desired consistency. Freeze for a couple of hours and then roll into small balls. Melt chocolate bark in microwave and drop balls into melted chocolate. Place balls on waxed paper for chocolate coating to set. Drizzle with vanilla flavored almond bark if desired. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredents:

1 can pumpkin
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. oil

Directions:

Beat eggs; add sugar. Add rest of ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

3 oz. cream cheese
3/4 stick margarine (or butter)
1 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

Mix cream cheese and margarine. Add milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Frosts a huge pan of pumpkin bars.

*Debi's Recipe

Poppy-Lemon Loaf

Ingredients:

1 Lemon cake mix
½ c. Oil
4 Eggs
1 c. Warm water
1 box Instant coconut cream pudding
¼ c. Poppy seeds

Directions:

Mix together. Place in 2 loaf pans. Bake 350º for 45 minutes.

Poke & Pour Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg.Pillsbury white cake mix (18 ½ oz.)
2 Egg whites
1 ½ c. Water
1 pkg. Jello gelatin (3 oz.)
1 c. Boiling water
1 c. Cold water

Directions:

Prepare cake mix following package directions with egg whites & 1½ c. water. Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake according to directions. Cool 15 minutes. Prepare gelatin. With fork poke holes into cake at ½ inch intervals. Pour gelatin over cake, top with whipped cream and chill. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

3 c. Sugar
3 c. Flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Cinnamon
4 Eggs
1 ½ c. Oil
3 c. Grated zucchini
Nuts (optional)

Directions:

Sift dry ingredients. Add eggs, oil and grated zucchini. Bake in 9 x 13 pan at 350º for 1¼ - 1½ hours. Top with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

4 oz. Cream cheese (very soft)
¾ stick Butter
1 tsp. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 ¾ c. Powdered sugar

Directions:

Cream together and frost Zucchini Cake.

Angelfood Strawberry Dessert

Ingredients:

Angel food cake
2 pkg. Strawberry jello
1 pkg. Frozen strawberries
3 c. Hot water
8 oz. Cool Whip

Directions:

Break up angel food cake into a 9 x 13 pan, making a layer approx. ¾ inch deep. Mix jello, strawberries, and hot water. Let cool until partially set. Fold Cool Whip into jello and pour over cake. Chill.

4 Layer Dessert (Ick)

My sister and I renamed this to "Ick" when we were little because we didn't like the way it looked. It's very tasty, though!

Ingredients/Directions:

1st Layer

½ stick Butter
1 c. Flour
½ c. Crushed pecans

Mix like pie crust and pat into 9x13 pan. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350º. Cool.

2nd Layer

8 oz. Cream cheese
1 c. Powdered sugar (do not sift)
1 c. Cool Whip

3rd Layer

2 pkg. Instant pudding mix mixed with 3 c. Milk

4th Layer

Top with Cool Whip

Dutch Letter Bars

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 7-8 oz. can almond paste

Directions:

Mix ingredients together. This takes a little time, the almond paste is thick. Spread into lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 mins.

Rhubarb Crunch

Ingredients:

Bottom & Top
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup melted butter or margarine
1 ½ cups oatmeal

Inside
8 cups rhubarb
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
4 Tbs. corn starch

Directions:

Mix together ingredients to make top & bottom. Use 2 cups for top. Press the rest in bottom of pan.

For inside, mix last 3 ingredients until thick & glossy. Mix rhubarb in. Pour on crust & sprinkle with topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Salted Nut Roll Bars

Ingredients:

1st layer
1 yellow cake mix
2/3 cup margarine, melted
1 egg

2nd layer
16 oz. mini marshmallows

Topping
2/3 cup white Karo syrup
12 cups peanut butter chips
½ cup margarine
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups salted peanuts

Directions:

Combine first layer ingredients and pat with fingers onto an 11 x 17 cookie sheet with sides. Bake at 325 for 10 - 15 mins. Take out of oven & spread mini marshmallows over top. Return to oven for 5 – 9 mins. Cool.

Combine first 4 topping ingredients. Put in microwave until melted. Stir frequently. Pour over top & then add peanuts. Cool. Cut into bars.

Apple Dip

Ingredients:

8 oz. softened cream cheese
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Apples (and/or other fruit...bananas, pears, strawberries, etc.)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except apples together. Slice apples & dip.

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar
16 oz. cream cheese
16 oz. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or use 1/2 tsp. each nutmeg and cinnamon)

Directions:

Mix together all dry spices with sugar. Whip all the ingredients together; refrigerate until firm. Serve with ginger snaps for dipping.