I love cheesecake! My recipe has an extra special touch with the gingersnap crust. If you like pumpkin pie you will love my pumpkin cheesecake

2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter
2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and process the gingersnap cookies

This is what they will look like

Melt the butter

Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the gingersnap crumbs

Add the butter

Combine

Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool. Add a pan of water lower rack if you want to steam your cheesecake

In a medium bowl add the cream cheese

Add a 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla then mix just until smooth

Grab your eggs

Blend them in a separate bowl then blending into the cheese mixture and set aside 1 cup of the mixture

Add your pumpkin puree. I like to make my own 🙂 Get the recipe for pumpkin puree here http://www.hauntedchef.com/2012/11/21/pumpkin-puree/

Blend 1/4 cup sugar into the remaining mixture

Add the cinnamon…. a little extra doesn’t hurt

Grab your nutmeg

Grate a half teaspoon and add to the mixture

Add the cloves and stir until combined

Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust

Pour the plain batter randomly on the top

This is what you are going for

Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Pretty 🙂 Put into a water bath or place over a pan of water and bake approx 45-55 minutes in the preheated oven or until the filling is set.

Turn the oven off and prop open to cool inside oven for about 1 hour

Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool for another hour

Run a knife around the edge of the pan again before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Enjoy! We devoured this so fast there was no time for a pretty picture lol!

One of my favorite pies of all time!

3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter melted
1/4 cup Kaluah
1 pinch salt
1 Talespoon flour
1 cup pecans chopped
1 cup pecan halves

Get your pie crust ready

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs

Measure out light and dark corn syrups and add to the bowl

Add the sugar

Add melted butter

Add the Kaluah

Add flour, salt and chopped pecans then mix until blended. Add whole pecans and stir

Pour into pie shell

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for one hour or until firm; let cool for one hour before serving

Serve just like it is or a la mode

I just love this pie!

This pie recipe is easy and terrific! It would be even better to use my pumpkin puree recipe instead of canned.

1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon flour
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 12 fluid ounce can Evaporated Milk

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Into a mixing bowl measure out sugar and salt

Add cinnamon

Add ginger

Add allspice

Add cloves and stir the mixture together

Beat eggs lightly in bowl

Add to the mixture and stir to combine

Add the pumpkin. You can use my pumpkin puree recipe here or add canned pumkpin

Gradually add the evaporated milk. The mixture will be soupy

Pour into pie shell. You can find a very easy yet flakey pie crust recipe here

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)

Yes you can make your own filling from scratch!

Sugar Pumpkin

Select one sugar pumpkin per pie (these are small pumpkins). Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C)

Remove stem and cut the pumpkin in half from the stem to base

Remove seeds and pulp

Save the seeds to roast. Here is the link to how to roast seeds

Place cut side down on a cookie sheet

Bake in the preheated oven 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until tender. This is what they will look like

Scrape pumpkin meat from shell halves

Did you know you can make pumpkin soup and serve it in the shells?

Puree in a food processor and use right away or store in the freezer

In case you wanted to know my 2 little pumpkins gave me 4 1/2 cups of puree

This is the easiest and just the best way to make pie crust!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ice water

Measure the flour into the processor with the regular blade attached

Cut the butter into cubes and add to the bowl

Add the shortening

Add salt and pulse three times with three counts per pulse to lightly mix the ingredients

Turn it to on and pour ice water into the bowl until starts to get noticeably crumbly

This is what it will look like

Stop the machine, dump the crumbly dough into a bowl

Gather the dough into a ball with your hand until it sticks together

Wrap your dough ball in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour

To use the dough unwrap it but leave it on the plastic wrap

Roll out to fit your pan

Transfer to your pan

Shape the edge

You are now ready to bake blind or fill it up with something wonderful

This recipe will make a cake type of cobbler. This one is super easy to throw together and oh so good!

29 oz can sliced peaches in heavy syrup
1 cup self rising flour
1 cup sugar or brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Butter
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Dash Nutmeg
Cinnamon and Sugar Mixture (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Select a 3 quart baking dish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butter your baking dish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what it should look like when you are done

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the can of peaches with the heavy syrup (or you can cook down some peaches and add them instead)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To a mixing bowl add 1 cup self rising flour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add one cup sugar (brown sugar for a darker batch)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add 1 cup milk, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg then stir to combine. It will be the consistency of pancake batter. Pour mixture slowly over the peaches and sprinkle top with sugar and ground cinnamon. Bake at 350 for approx. 40 -45 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what it looks like when you use granulated sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what it looks like when you use brown sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scoop into a bowl and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas! Mincemeat began as a way to preserve food and always contained meat. Over time it became synonymous with Christmas. My recipe has no meat/suet in it making it healthier!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup golden raisins
1 (16 ounce) can sour cherries
5 apples
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1 orange (zest and juice)
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup rum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measure out and add the raisins to a mixing bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Next add the cranberries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the golden raisins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the cherries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
You will need the apples next

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Core and peel the apples

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Grate the apples

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the apples to the bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
You need a lemon and an orange next

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Zest the lemon, juice it and add them both to the mixture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Zest the orange, juice it and add them to the pot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the cloves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the nutmeg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the cinnamon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the allspice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the sugar and simmer for 30 minutes. You need to stir occasionally then remove it from the heat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the brandy and rum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Use right away or use a can in a water bath covered by 2 inches of water. Cover the pot and process for 30 minutes. It is best to let this age for a few months before you use it.

This is my grandmother Claire’s recipe. My father could sit with the whole batch and finish them off in one day! Whenever I make this I can hear my dad thanking me for making them because he loved them that much. It also brings back many memories of Christmas especially of times with the family. I remember being in the kitchen with my grandmother helping her to make them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 cup crisco
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup ice cold water
1 jar mincemeat or make your own
1 cup Confectioners Sugar

This is what the written recipe says:
Preheat the oven to 350 F and strain the mincemeat – lump it all & mix. Flour fingertips to work. Wet paper towel and cover bowl. Roll out dough and cut into squares. 1 tsp. mince on middle of square. Roll and tuck ends or squeeze. Cookie sheet ungreased. Put fork marks on top to release air. Check. Powdered sugar to cover after finished.

Now let me break this down for you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measure out the crisco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scrape it into a bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measure out the flour and add to the bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the salt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

Add the baking powder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the ice water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See it is all lumped together now per her recipe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flour your fingers and work the dough until it comes together smooth. Wet a paper towel and cover the dough in the bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like to divide the dough and only work with half at a time. Roll it out and cut into squares

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put 1 teaspoon of mincemeat in the middle of the square

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roll

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuck the end, squeeze and place on an ungreased cookie sheet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep working until all the dough is gone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put fork marks on top to release steam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes or until lightly brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put confectioners sugar into a bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toss the hot tarts with the sugar and let cool

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve warm or cool.. YUM!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what they look like inside…… Oh the memories

Fall produces an abundance of fresh, crisp tart apples. Don’t have a tree in your yard? You can find them at the farmers market and grocery stores sitting there screaming for you to use them in every way you can think. One great way to use them is in an apple pie. Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 large apples or more depending on size (mix up the types)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup cold butter
1 recipe for double crust pie crust
2 teaspoons milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon brown sugar or sanding sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Select your apples and preheat oven to 350 degrees F

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peel the apples

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use an apple corer or cut through from the top into 8 parts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then cut out the core with a knife, a spoon or use a melon baller

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice up the apples thin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep slicing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place the apples into a mixing bowl, toss with the lemon and add sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add brown sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir to combine

Get out half of the pie crust and shape into a circle on a lightly floured surface

Roll it out and wrap over your rolling pin

Transfer to the pie plate, unroll and trim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Layer the apples into the crust with random pats of butter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle with an additional teaspoon flour and brown sugar then dot with butter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roll out the remaining crust and cut into strips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cross cross the strips to form a lattice, trim and decorate the edge of the crust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix the egg and milk to make a glaze and brush over the top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Place into 350 degrees F oven until the crust is golden brown (about 60 minutes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover the edges with aluminum foil or a shield to prevent over browning in the last 30 min

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drizzle caramel sauce over the top and allow to cool completely before serving. This will prevent filling from running all over the place

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best served a la mode with additional caramel sauce. Enjoy!