Mini Cheesecakes

I have always loved cheesecake (who doesn't?) and I am happy to have this recipe on hand for whenever a craving may strike. I'm sure these could even be frozen so that you can just take out a serving or two at a time. I have to thank my wonderful friend Shaunna for sharing this recipe with me, all the way from North Pole, Alaska. =) I love how simple and versatile it is, not to mention delicious!

Ingredients:

24 vanilla wafer cookies
3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1 can pie filling

Preheat oven to 325. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners. Place on cookie in each cup.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Pour mixture evenly into muffin cups to 2/3 full. Bake for 20 min or until set. Cool completely, then top with pie filling.

Apple Crisp

This is my favorite recipe for apple crisp. The original recipe is from Allrecipes.com, however I made a few changes to the ingredients and amounts. Using granny smith apples keeps the taste slightly tart, but the topping sweetens it up just enough. Be sure to use cooled butter and not to over-mix in order to achieve a crisp, crumbly topping. You are sure to enjoy this recipe with or without a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!



Ingredients:

4 cups sliced granny smith apples
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
slightly less than 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
• Place apples in prepared dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour water over all.
  
• In a bowl, mix together the sugars and butter, creating a crumbly mixture. Blend in flour. Sprinkle mixture evenly over apples. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired.
  
• Bake in preheated oven 30 to 40 minutes, until apples are tender and crust is golden. Enjoy!
  

Ice Cream Torte

I first tried this dessert at my Aunt Heidi's house a few years ago. It was so good, I had to request the recipe. Every year since then, my husband has requested this for his birthday cake! It is very simple to make, keeps well in the freezer, and can be done with either store bought or homemade ice cream. The fresh, minty ice cream is a perfect counterpart to the rich fudge base of the torte. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

20 Oreos crushed- reserve 1/4 cup
4 one-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 eggs beaten
1/2 gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream

Directions:

• Spread crushed Oreos in bottom of a cake pan.
• Melt chocolate squares and butter together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Stir in powdered sugar and eggs, and cook, stirring frequently until it begins bubbling.
  
• Pour chocolate mixture over Oreo crumbles in cake pan. Cool for 1 hour.
• Spread ice cream over base and sprinkle reserved crumbs over top. Freeze.
  

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

I really can't give a good enough review of these pumpkin bars. The first time I made them was over a year ago for a pot luck with some friends down here in Alabama. Over a year later, our friends continue to request these bars whenever we get together. Even my husband, who does not enjoy the taste of pumpkin, loves this recipe. On the Food Network website, this recipe received 5/5 stars based on 488 reviews... I give it a 5 for sure! This is definitely a tried and true recipe that I will be using for years to come.

Source: recipe adapted from Paula Deen (Food Network)

Ingredients

Bars

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
  
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.