Pumpkin Cheesecake

This is made in a round spring loaded pan.

Crust:
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
1/4 Cup Melted Butter
3/4 Cup Nilla Wafer Crumbs
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

Combine dry ingredients and drizzle with butter. Press into bottom + 1 ½" sides of spring loaded pan.

Filling
1 8oz. package + 3oz. package of soft cream cheese, softened
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter, softened
1½ tsp vanilla
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
8 oz. Can Pumpkin

Combine cream cheese and sugar, add butter, beating until smooth. Blend in vanilla. Mix in pumpkin. Whip the whipping cream until stiff and fold into the cream cheese/pumpkin mixture.

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Cheddar Cheese Apple Pie

This is the best Apple Pie I've ever had. It was great with freshly whipped cream on top.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese, firmly packed
• 5 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed
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Apple Filling:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 (6 to 7-ounce) Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
• Pinch fine sea salt
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• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced

Directions

For the crust: In a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, and salt and blend for 5 seconds. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the dough looks like fine meal. Add the cheese and pulse 5 times. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and sprinkle with 5 tablespoons of ice water. Use a fork to fluff the mixture until moist clumps form. Add more ice water by the tablespoonful if the mixture is dry. Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix the cornstarch and sugar, making sure there are no lumps in the cornstarch. Mix in the apples, lemon juice, zest, and salt.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 of the dough disks into a 13-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch diameter deep-dish glass pie dish and brush the overhang with water. Pour the filling into the dough-lined dish and dot it with the 2 tablespoons butter. On the same lightly floured surface, roll out the second dough disk into a 12-inch round. Place the dough on top of the filling. Press the overhang of the bottom and top dough pieces together to seal. Cut the overhang to 1/2-inch. Fold the overhang under and crimp decoratively, forming a high-standing rim. Cut 3 (2-inch) slits in the top of the crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake the pie until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cover the crust edge with foil and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake the pie until the filling bubbles thickly in the center, about 30 minutes. Cool pie on a rack for 1 hour.

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Concord Grape Jam Tart

This is also in MS October 2008

• FOR THE DOUGH
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup ice water
• FOR THE JAM
• 1 1/2 pounds Concord grapes, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Salt
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• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling
• Creme fraiche, for serving

Directions

1. Make the dough: Pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until mixture just begins to hold together. Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
2. Make the jam: Combine grapes and lemon juice in a medium nonreactive saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until grapes release their juices, about 7 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve (you should have 1 1/2 to 2 cups juice). Return juice to saucepan over high heat, stir in granulated sugar and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until temperature registers 220 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Transfer jam to a bowl, and let cool, stirring occasionally.
   
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer 1 round to a baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment, and fit the other round into a 9 1/2-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim edges flush with tart pan. Freeze both until firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Using the wide base of 2 pastry tips (one 3/4 inch in diameter and one 1 inch), cut clusters of holes in dough on baking sheet to create a bunch of grapes. Using a paring knife, cut a stem at the top. Freeze until firm.
   
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread 1 cup grape jam over dough in tart pan. (Refrigerate any remaining jam for up to 2 weeks.) Brush top edge of dough with egg. Slide remaining dough round on top, centering the design. Press edges to seal, and trim excess dough. Brush top with egg, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   
6. Bake tart for 15 minutes, then gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Return to oven, and bake until golden brown and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Unmold, and transfer to a platter. Serve with creme fraiche.

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Turtle Pumpkin Pie

I haven't tried this yet, but it looks good!

1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP chopped pecans divided
2 pkg (3.4 oz each) Vanilla Flavored instant pudding
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip topping, thawed, divided

Pour 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts
Beat dry pudding mixes, milk, pumpkin and spices with whisk until well blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cool whip; spoon into crust.
Refrigerate one hour. Top with remaining cool whip, caramel topping and nuts just before serving.

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Eggless Pecan Pie

1 1/2 Cups Pecan pieces or halves
1/3 Cup Bread Flour sifted
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Tbsp Dark Molasses
1/4 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Dark Rum
1 (8") pie shell, baked

Place pecan pieces or halves on cookie sheet and toast in a 375 degree oven about 15 minutes or until crisp and slightly browned.
Mix flour and 1/4 cup sugar together with fork until smooth. Bring water, butter, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and molasses to a boil. Add sugar and flour over medium high heat and cook until thickened and clear, about 3 minutes. When the filling is cooked, and the 1/4 cup condensed milk along with the vanilla flavoring, add rum and nut pieces. Stir together and pour the filling into the pie shell. Allow to cool and set before cutting.

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