PUMPKIN DIP

It's time to make one of my two favorite Autumn goodies....Pumpkin Dip. This, my friends, is as easy as (pumpkin) pie. If you use Neufchatel cheese you cut down on the fat grams. I haven't tried it, but I am wondering about using brown sugar Splenda in this. It would change the texture a bit, but at least cut down on the sugar. I have served this with many types of dippers....cinnamon grahams, ginger snaps, graham "pretzels". But my favorite is with pie crust cut-outs...for the obvious reason....it is like a little bite of pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin Dip

1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 can (15-oz) solid pack pumpkin

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Gradually add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and ginger; beat until smooth. Served chilled. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 3 1/2 cups of dip.

I ususally serve this with pie crust cut outs. Roll Pillsbury ready pie crust just a bit thinner. Take a pumpkin cookie cutter or something fall-like and make as many as you can. I kept re-rolling the scraps as far as I could go. I sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar and baked on parchment for just a few minutes until they started to look golden. Cool and keep them in a tight container until ready to serve. Dip is also good with gingersnaps.

Walnut Pumpkin Cheesecake

This recipe was shared by a friend a few years ago. She brought it into work for us to try and we were all in heaven. Not to mention we all had to have the recipe. This is a showstopper. If you want to impress your guests...this is it! What really surprises is that it is relatively easy to make! The cheesecake is so delicious, but it should be with the addition of heavy cream!! While there is nothing low in calories in this recipe, if you have several guests, this goes a long way. Because of its richness, the slices don't have to be big to be satisfying. (Nothing has to be the size of what you get at the Cheesecake Factory!) Want to dazzle up the presentation? Drizzle some melted white chocolate on the plate before serving and dust with a little nutmeg. You'll be a rock star when you serve this. It is also a great recipe to bring along to a fall dinner party when you are asked to bring a dessert.

Walnut Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

1 6-oz pkg zwieback crackers, crushed (1 ½ cups)

¼ cup sugar

6 Tbsp butter, melted

Cheesecake:

3 8-oz. Pkgs cream cheese, softened

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

5 eggs

1 16-oz can mashed pumpkin

1 ¼ tsp. Pumpkin pie spice

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Walnut Topping:

6 Tbsp butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Crust: Blend crumbs with sugar and butter in bowl. Press over bottom and up sides of a lightly buttered springform pan. Chill.

Cheesecake: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugars, beating to mix well. Beat in eggs one at a time till light and fluffy. Beat in pie spice, cream and pumpkin at low speed. Pour into prepared crust. Bake in oven at 325 degrees F. for 1 ½ hours.

Walnut Topping: Mix butter, brown sugar and walnuts; sprinkle over cheesecake and bake 10 more minutes. Chill and serve.

PUMPKIN TRIFLE

This is a Paula Deen recipe (Photo from Food Network) and the first time I had this was at a harvest dinner party. My friend is a huge Paula fan and a wonderful cook. Her presentation was beautiful and this was just the right touch for ending a meal. Make this in your prettiest glass bowl. If it is footed it makes it more spectacular. When I make this, I scoop it into pretty glass bowls with 2 thinly sliced pear slices on the side. That adds a white palette to make the trifle look even more striking. And if you are really feeling decadent, serve with cordial glasses of ice wine. It will make the dessert go from ordinary to memorable! And speaking of a harvest table, make sure you use candlelight, gourds and autumn leaves on the table. Your tablescape is your signature and will welcome your guests for the delicious meal that is ahead. Happy Autumn!!

Gingerbread Trifle
One 14-ounce package gingerbread mix
One 5.1-ounce package cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
One 30-ounce can pumpkin pie filling
½ cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom
One 12-ounce carton Cool Whip
½ cup gingersnaps (optional)
Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely.
Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding.
Crumble half batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, clear bowl.
Pour ½ of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped cream.
Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps if desired. Refrigerate overnight.
Can be layered in a punch bowl.
Yield: 20 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ease of preparation: Easy

Using Pumpkin...in April

The sun is shining and the trees are in bud and the forsythia is in bloom. And this is not the time of year to be thinking about pumpkin. But, one of the women in my department was celebrating her 10 year company anniversary today and her favorite sweet is pumpkin pie. Well, I didn't want to do the traditional, so I pulled out the recipe I got from http://dozenflours.com/and whipped it up for today. Awhile ago, I made the plain Snickerdoodle Bars off her blog and commented on how great they were. She wrote back to say if I liked those,I should try them with the pumpkin. All I can say is that this has the WOW factor. The fact that the recipe looks long belies the actual time to prepare it. It goes together easily and the house is fragrant with the baking spices. When it was cool, I drizzled it in a crisscross fashion with the white chocolate glaze and put it in the fridge overnight. It was gone in 2 hours today...clean plate! It was a hit and a lot of people were asking for the recipe. So I am definitely putting this in my fall folder of wonderful desserts. I could see this with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top and drizzled with caramel sauce....like a brownie sundae. Plus it is a great alternative to pumpkin pie.

NOTE: For the drizzle, I filled my Pampered Chef little decorator with the glaze and used the small tip. I went back and forth over the top in a diagonal fashion and crossed it the opposite way....quite pretty.

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

Snickerdoodle Layer

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups Libby pure canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 oz white chocolate, chopped

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan and lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan, so that it extends the pan slightly. The parchment paper is an optional step, but it will make it easier to get the bars out later.

To make snickerdoodle layer: Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be thick and cookiebatter-ish.)

In a mixer bowl (you can use the same one you used to make the snickerdoodle batter) with a paddle attachment, mix together all ingredients until well combined. This layer will be less thick and more pourable. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.

Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake for 33-40 minutes (maybe more depending on your oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the *center* of the pan comes out clean.

Let the bars cool completely (about an hour). They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm, but are still equally as yummy.

After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it's completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden. Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into bars. Store in a covered container.