Toasted Almond Cheesecake

This a great cheesecake. Just the right balance of sweet and creamy, without feeling too heavy. I got the recipe from: http://www.pastrywiz.com/dailyrecipes/recipes/200.htm

Crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted & chop fine
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed (I used Splenda)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (room temp)

Filling:
24 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used low fat)
14 oz can condensed milk
3 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 325. Spray 9-inch springform pan.

Combine graham crumbs, nuts, sugar, and butter, press firmly on bottom of pan.

In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed
milk until smooth. Add eggs and extract. Pour into pan.

Bake 325 for one hour. Turn off oven and leave inside for 1 hour. Do not open oven door!!

Top with toasted almonds and chill overnight.

Notes: I would add the toasted almonds as soon as the cheesecake is done cooking to help it stick. We served it plain and it was delic. I could see serving with a hot berry sauce. Presentation is beautiful. I also saw a similar recipe where they lined a cookie sheet with foil and cut the cheesecake into squares. They poured caramel desert topping on top sprinkled with nuts. I could also see shaved chocolate. I would definitely make this again.

Future note: I made this again and this time only used 16oz cream cheese and a can of pumpkin and no almond extract. I also wound up doubling the crust ingredients (only a pinch of Splenda). It came out divine and looked so professional. Someone said they thought it was from The Cheesecake Factory. This is a winner and so easy to make.

Pumpkin Ginger Bread

Nothing says fall like pumpkin anything - pie, cake, muffin and of course bread. I love the hint of ginger and spices in this recipe.

Ingredients
3 cups Splenda
1 cup applesauce
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 can 15oz. pumpkin
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
3-1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 boxes of raisins

Steps
1. Preheat over 350 and grease 2 9"x5" pans
2. Mix Splenda, applesauce, eggs
3. Add water
4. Add pumpkin and spices
5. In separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder
6. Combine dry to wet
7. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick test that they're cooked inside
8. Let cool about 10 minutes then transer to a wire rack

We served this with some pumpkin cream cheese we had left over from a bagel brunch we had the other day.

Streusel In-Between Pumpkin Cake

This recipe came from my hiking buddy Michelle in Washington D.C. She says this is one of her favorite cakes to bake in the fall. I put my usual healthy/crazy spin and it came out quite nice. My crazy substitutions are in (parenthesis). Hope you Enjoy.

Streusel
½ cup brown sugar (Splenda)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg because I didn't have this)
2 teaspoons softened butter
(generous handful of cranberries)

Cake
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened (1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup homemade applesauce)
2 cups sugar (Splenda)
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin (puree from a sweet pumpkin)
1 cup sour cream (about 10 oz non-fat white chocolate raspberry yogurt)
1 teaspoon vanilla (skipped because I ran out)

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
(round spring foam pan because I still haven't bought a bundt pan)
2. Stir all streusel ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
4. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin, sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture.
5. Spread ½ of batter in pan. Sprinkle streusel over batter, without letting streusel touch sides of pan. Top with remaining batter.
6. Bake 55-60 minutes.


Let it cool completely before disassembling. Also make sure you have plenty of batter covering the bottom before adding the streusel. I was a little excited and the cake split a little when I unhinged the pan. But the cake was very moist and tasted wonderful.

In fact there's no picture because it was gone before I could grab my camera. I'll just have to make this again.

Pumpkin Pie Cookies

An unusual twist on a traditional holiday treat. And, a healthy option for desert.

Ingredients
1 1/2 Cup Butter (Smart Balance buttery spread)
1 Cup Splenda
3 Eggs
1 Can (15oz) Pumpkin
1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Craisins & toasted pecan pieces

Steps
1 Grease cookie sheets and preheat oven to 350.
2 Mix butter and sugar with mixer until well mixed (will be light and fluffy).
3 Add eggs, pumpkin, spices & vanilla; mix well.
4 Sift dry ingredients together & gradually add to pumpkin mixture, mixing by hand.
5 Mix in Craisins & pecans
6 Drop onto cookie sheets & bake 10 to 15 minutes - or until slightly browned.

* Note: Dough will be sticky and wet.

(Makes 3 to several dozen cookies, depending on size and shape.)

Healthy & Sweet Breads

This makes an amazingly healthy bread that tastes sinnfully sweet and moist because of the pumpkin. It may seem a bit heavy but I love that it uses no oil. You just need to be careful to cook the bread long enough without overcooking it. I cut a small piece to be certain. This recipe is the same for making Zucchini-Walnut and Carrot-Raisin.

Zucchini-Walnut Bread &
Carrot-Raisin/Cranberry
Makes 2 loaves

2 cups shredded zucchini
or 2 cups shredded carrots
3-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp baking soda & baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 cup Splenda
1 cup canned pumpkin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.

Clean the zucchini or carrot, cut off the ends, and shred using a grater.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

With a mixer (or the amazing Magic Bullet) beat the eggs until frothy. Add the applesauce a little at a time. Gradually add the sugar and pumpkin.

Add the dry ingredients. Then add add zucchini or carrots. Slowly mix in the nuts and/or raisins and cranberries. I'm a little partial to zucchini with nutty walnuts and carrots with the sweet raisins and cranberries but this is just good with any combination!

Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for at least an hour. Insert a toothpick in the center to check it comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool completely. Then slice a piece and say to yourself you got your daily vitamins.

WARNING: this is moist in the middle because of the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

This is the simplest, healthiest and according to my husband one of the best puddings yet. As you can see from the ingredients, this desert is for the diet-conscious. And because the ingredients are good for you, you won't feel guilty getting seconds.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups non-fat milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup Splenda
1 tsp cinammon
15 oz pumpkin mix
loaf of whole wheat french bread
1/2 cup orange cranberries (you can also use raisins)
non-fat vanilla yogurt

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a medium-size baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add in the milk, sugar and pumpkin.
3. Tear bread into cubes and add to mix. Make sure bread soaks up the liquid.
4. Spread 1/2 the bread into baking dish, add most of the cranberries, then add the remaining bread and remaining cranberries.
5. Give the top another dusting of cinammon and pop in the oven for about 60 minutes.
6. Serve warm, topped with the yogurt.