Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

I found this yummy recipe on pinterest from My baking addiction's blog. It turned out really yummy, especially after it had cooled off completely which was hard to do since I wanted to eat the whole pan :) I also had melted down some caramels and poured them in between the cheesecake and cookie layer. YUM :P

Picture from brandysbaking.blogspot.com

For the Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbs sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

For the Cheesecake Filling

10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and 1 Tbs sugar until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Do not turn your oven off.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature

Raspberry Blackberry Pie Bars

 I was looking for a recipe to use up some fresh raspberries and blackberries and I stumbled upon (or googled upon really) this yummy blog called The Angie River Show.

She has amazing little goodies on her site I want to try them all! Anyways so I made these pie bars and they were SO tasty :)  Recipe and picture borrowed from her page.

Bottom Crust Ingredients
1 package of Pillsbury (or equivalent) ready made crusts (2 crusts)
Filling Ingredients
2 cans Raspberry Pie Filling
Crumble Crust Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
2 1/2 c. oats
1 tsp cinnamon
White Chocolate Raspberry Drizzle
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. white chocolate chips
3 tsp. half/half
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Instructions

Bottom Crust Instructions
1) Spread two crusts out over 8 x 17 pan and brush with egg white.
2) Place in oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Filling Instructions
1) Spread filling over crust with a rubber spatula.
Crumble Crust Instructions
1) Mix softened butter with sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon until crumbly.
2) Spread evenly over the pie filling.
3) Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.
White Chocolate Drizzle Instructions
1) Mix softened butter with melted white chocolate until smooth.
2) Add in tsps of half and half and powdered sugar until smooth, but not overly thick or watery. 
3) With a fork or spoon drizzle over the raspberry pie bars and let sit.

Hot Fudge Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Found this ridiculously yummy cupcake recipe from Tasty Kitchen :) It is now my go to chocolate cupcake recipe! I didn't stuff the cupcakes as the recipe calls for, just frosted them. Next time I am going to save my energy and just use store bought hot fudge, it didn't taste all that different and was kind of a pain in the butt to make.

• FOR THE CUPCAKES:
• 1 whole Egg
• ¾ cups Brown Sugar
• ½ cups Milk
• ½ cups Plus 1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream
• ½ cups Butter, Melted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
• 1-⅛ cup All-purpose Flour
• ¼ cups Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1-¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ cups Homemade Hot Fudge (recipe Below)
• _____
• FOR THE BUTTERCREAM:
• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• ⅔ cups Peanut Butter
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar (you May Need 1 More Cup)
• 1 Tablespoon Of Milk (have 1-2 More On Hand)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 pinch Salt
• _____
• FOR THE HOT FUDGE SAUCE:
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 pinch Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Boiling Water Or Scalding Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, cream, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Stir in sour cream.
Sift dry ingredients together and then add to the wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth, then swirl in fudge sauce. Line a muffin tin (12 count) with liners and using a 1/4 cup measure, add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
Cream butter and peanut butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar with mixer on low speed and gradually add milk and vanilla extract. Add a pinch of salt and mix until frosting is smooth. If too thick, add more milk; if too thin, add more sugar.
Put the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a tip. Poke a hole in the cupcake with the pastry tip and fill the cupcake. Then frost the cooled cupcakes as desired.
For the homemade fudge:
Combine sugar, cocoa, salt, and flour in a bowl or pot over a double boiler. Bring water or milk to a boil in another saucepan or in the microwave. Gradually add hot liquid to sugar mixture. Stir constantly until mixture thickens.
Once it has reached the desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Drizzle over cupcakes and store the rest of the sauce in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

Amazing Peanut Butter Cookies

Amazing Peanut Butter Cookies
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 cup peanut butter
 1/2 cup sugar
 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

For sprinkling: 1-2 tablespoons sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and slowly mix until just incorporated. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon(s) — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern, but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 8 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Oh My

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Yield: 8 servings

1/2 cup 60% Dark Chocolate Baking Chips

4 tablespoons  butter

3 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon(s) salt

1 1/2 cup(s) crushed pecans

1 (9-inch) unbaked piecrust, store-bought or homemade

Heat oven to 325F. In double boiler over hot water, melt chocolate and butter. In large bowl with electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla and salt until blended; beat in chocolate mixture. Stir in pecans; pour into piecrust. Place pie on baking sheet on middle rack of oven; bake about 55 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely at room temperature.

Avalanche Bark

This is one of my most favorite things to get from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. This stuff is seriously like crack, sooooo good. If you like it a little bit more like a rice crispy treat add a bit more cereal to the mix, and less if you like more of a bark style treat.

Picture and Recipe adapted from cookiesandcups blog. Yum check it out.

Avalanche Bark
1 12 ounce bag white chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups rice crispy cereal
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used butterscotch)

Melt the peanut butter and the white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave checking and stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Add the cereal to the mix and allow to cool slightly before you add your marshmallows and chocolate chips so they don't melt into the bark. And of course, enjoy :)

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

(please ignore the smudgy fingerprints of a little girl who just couldn't resist)

I have a gorgeous and most curly headed three year old, whom I would give the world to. She is a girl after my own heart who loves all the things her mommy does especially cooking. So naturally when she was given a couple pumpkins from our neighbors garden all I heard from her was how she wanted to make pumpkin pie with me. So we did! And it turned out so good, I've never made a fresh pumpkin pie pie from scratch before but man does it make a difference! I didn't make my own pie crust, oh come on give the 9 months along pregnant lady a break! :) But I do plan on making my own come the holidays this year.

To prepare the pumpkin puree you will need 1 small pumpkin. Cut off the stem top and discard, cut pumpkins in half and discard all the nasty membranes and seeds. Actually YOU should save the seeds and roast them but I can't stand the flavor. Cut each half in thirds. Take a large microwave safe bowl/dish and place about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Place the pumpkin slices in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap making sure to seal the sides well. Microwave for about 10-13 minutes or until the flesh can be pierced easily with a fork. The skins will easily (sometimes not so easily) peel off. From here you can mash the pumpkin or blend it up for the puree.
I ate a couple pieces right out of the bowl before i pureed them...so good! I imagine it would be heavenly with a smudge of butter, parm cheese and a little salt and pepper :)
So here is the recipe I used, I found it online and made a couple slight changes :)

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

1 frozen pie shell
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups fresh Pumpkin Puree
3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus

1 egg for glaze
1 tablespoon heavy cream

sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Use parchment paper to line the baking sheet then set it aside. Combine sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, and 2 eggs in a large bowl. Beat well. Add evaporated milk and vanillla. Combine. Set aside.

Make the glaze: Beat the remaining egg, and combine with heavy cream. Brush glaze very lightly on edges of pie shell. Sprinkle edges with sugar. Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 8 servings

Spiced Sugar Cookies

What a great cookie recipe, just in time for fall too! Found this on Tasty Kitchen. I can only dream of these smushed together with some buttercream frosting! YUM

¾ cups Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 whole Large Egg, Lightly Beaten
¼ cups Unsulfured Molasses
2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
½ teaspoons Ground Cloves
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Granulated Sugar, For Rolling Cookies


In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the light brown sugar and blend until evenly incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Add in the beaten egg and molasses; blend.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer, in batches, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Chill the dough, covered, for 1 hour.

Scoop out the dough by the tablespoon, roll into a ball and roll in the granulated sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 3″ apart. Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time.

Transfer the cookies, using a metal spatula, to a rack and let them cool

Red Velvet Cake/Cupcakes

I've been looking for a great Red Velvet recipe for awhile and I think I have found a winner... for now. The texture is light and perfect and the cake is not too sweet. I'm still working on the frosting, the one I made from Paula Deen is super sweet, but much too cream cheesy and rich for my liking. Tastes like what you would put on cinnamon rolls. I can't wait until the holidays so I can make a full on cake, I just halved the recipe and made a dozen cupcakes for the test run.

I'll post the frosting recipe for kicks but I think I know what needs to be done to lighten it up a bit.

Red Velvet Cake/Cupcakes
Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup oil (can be partially or fully substituted with plain yogurt, sour cream, or applesauce but that may affect the texture a bit)
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (I used fat free milk plus 1 Tbsp. vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring (all I had was pink and I didn't add that much so mine were more rose colored)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine in a large bowl flour, sugar, salt, cocoa and soda. Sift or whisk together and place aside.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks, beat whites until soft peaks form (about a couple minutes) Place the whites aside.
In a medium owl blend oil, egg yolks, buttermilk, vanilla. Slowly blend (or hand mix) into flour mixture until just blended. Do not over mix. Mixture should be not too thick and not too runny either. Gently fold in the egg whites until just blended.

For a cake bake in 3 8-inch round greased and floured cake pans for 20-25 minutes, check with a toothpick.
For cupcakes bake for 18 - 20 minutes. Will make 2 dozen
Cool completely before frosting.

(I omitted the coconut and pecans and just a note to self I believe it can be lightened up with a flour and milk sauce and less conf. sugar)
Frosting:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 stick butter softened
2 cups melted marshmallows (or fluff)
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl. Add marshmallows and sugar and blend. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Rainbow Fruit Salad

This is a refreshing fruit salad that can be tailored to whatever fruit you have, try it with kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, etc! The glaze is a fresh and tangy complement to the fruit.

Rainbow Fruit Salad

2 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 oranges peeled and sliced
2 cups of strawberries hulled and sliced
1 cup of seedless grapes (green or purple/red)
1 cup melon balls
Pineapple Lime Dressing

In a large bowl, combine fruit. Add dressing and GENTLY stir to coat. Serves 8.

Pineapple Lime Dressing

In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp finely grated lime peel
3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp ginger
Wisk until blended.

Texas Sheet Cake

I made this for the 4th of July BBQ we were invited to. It turned out fantastic and I even brought the leftovers to a pool party the next day where it tasted even better! I wouldn't make this for a weekday dessert (the butter content was driving me insane while I was baking :D ). It is definitely an indulgence that is meant to be shared with others.

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk (I use regular milk with a touch of vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes)
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla
_____
FOR FROSTING:
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Ice cream revisited

Found this great recipe for chocolate ice cream over at The Brown Eyed Baker

Gonna make it just because!

For a classic super yummy vanilla bean recipe revisit last years post here.

Chocolate Ice Cream


Makes about 1 quart

2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170°F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.)

Triple Threat Brownies

Found this recipe and photo on Tasty Kitchens website. These little treats have a brownie base, cream cheese frosting middle, and a topping of chocolate and peanut butter Rice Krispies. Holy cow! I can't wait to make these.
There

Triple Threat Brownies

1 box Brownie Mix
16 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
½ cups Butter, Softened
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Coarsely Chopped Peanuts
1-½ cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup Peanut Butter
3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal


For the brownie base, mix brownies according to package directions or use your favorite recipe. Bake in a 9×13 pan and allow to cool completely.

For the cream cheese frosting, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until fully mixed. Spread on top of cooled brownies and sprinkle with nuts.

For the chocolate peanut butter rice krispies topping, in a large pan, combine chocolate chips and peanut butter over low heat. Continue stirring until the chocolate and peanut butter are melted. Stir in cereal, making sure to coat all the cereal with the peanut butter chocolate mixture.
Spread the cereal mixture on top of the brownies and frosting and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Keep covered and store in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Easter Truffle Eggs

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 jar (17.3 ounces) creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (2 pounds) confectioners' sugar

6 cups (36 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup shortening

Directions
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sugar. Form rounded tablespoonfuls into egg shapes. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes.
In a microwave-safe bowl or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening: stir until smooth. Dip eggs until coated; place on waxed paper to harden.
For more decorative eggs, place about 1/4 cup melted chocolate in a small plastic bag. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag; pipe chocolate over tops of eggs. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: about 5-1/2 dozen.

Oreo Truffles

1 Package Oreo cookies, finely crushed and divided

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 packages (8 squares each) semi sweet chocolate, melted

1.Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
2.Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
3.Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator

Grandma Hastain's Apple Crisp

I was given the task of making THE apple crisp for the Hastain thanksgiving... it is a tradition and I think it turned out fantastic...(I even tweaked it but don't tell grandma!)

Filling:
5-6 apples, cored and peeled (I used Roma)
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Place apples in a greased 9x13" pan. Mix water, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon until combined and pour over apples. Set aside.

Crust:
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cup flour
1/1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1/2 tsp salt

Mix above ingredients except the butter in a large mixing bowl with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle crust over apple mixture. Melt the butter and pour evenly over crust. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then turn the heat up to 400 and let bake an additional 10-12 minutes.
I find that giving it the additional time at high heat really caramelizes the apples and browns the top nicely. Enjoy warm with whipped topping or ice cream!

Ultimate Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

What I'm bringing to Thanksgiving!

Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
12 ounces gingersnaps
1/2 cup chopped pecans
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Dash of salt

Filling:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (full fat, room temp.)
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 extra large eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 heaping cup fresh pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (plus some for sprinkling)
1 jar caramel topping
extra chopped pecans
extra crushed gingersnaps

Crush gingersnaps in a food processor (or a ziploc bag). Add chopped pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt and pulse (or mix) until combined. Press into a springform pan (9 or 10 in.) Chill for a half hour.

In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch. Add vanilla . Blend in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. beat in whipping cream, do not overmix.
Remove 1 1/2 cups pf batter and set aside. Gently blend in pumpkin and spice to remainder of batter.

Remove crust from fridge. Pour 1/2 container of caramel onto crust. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Gently pour pumpkin batter on top of caramel and pecans. Drop small spoonfuls of plain batter and push slightly down. Swirl mixtures together in a figure 8 until swirls appear.

Place cheesecake in a water bath 1" high. Bake at 350 degree for 1 hour 15 minutes, check, if still soupy then bake an extra 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let cool for atleast 2 hours in the oven. Pour remaining caramel topping on top and crushed gingersnaps on top. Refridgerate for atleast 4 hours.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)
adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 heaping cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until all incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle generous amounts of cinnamon-sugar over the top of each unbaked muffin.
Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup softened butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 pound powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy!

Store in fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

I thought these mini pumpkin pie bites were too cute! Find the recipe here at Bakerella.com

Frosted Banana Bars

Frosted Banana Bars
adapted from allrecipes.com

I found this great recipe from a food blog that has the greatest recipes! I wish they had a Cafe Zupa's down here, now i'll just have to search one out on my next trip to Utah. Can't wait to try this one it looks wonderful!

Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the wet batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the bars to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar

In a bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until completely smooth.