Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

This was my dessert choice at Thanksgiving dinner. It was a delicious alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie. I added extra spices as usual!

• Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake (modified from an Allrecipes recipe)
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• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
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• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
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• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust (recipe follows)
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• 1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
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• 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Prepare a waterbath to bake the cheesecake in. 
• 2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Then stir in sour cream. Remove 1 1/2 cups of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
• 3. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
• 4. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hr to 1 hr 15 min or until center is almost set. Turn off the oven, prop over door open with a wooden spoon and let cheesecake cool in the oven for another hour. Then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

Graham Cracker Crust (from Allrecipes)

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
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• 1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 9 inch pie plate or springform pan.
• 2. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool. If recipe calls for unbaked pie shell, just chill for about 1 hour.

Here are great instructions for using waterbath to bake cheesecakes. I found them at Diana's Desserts.

" Water Bath " For Baking Cheesecakes

A "water bath" is a method that will help keep your cheesecake from cracking while baking.

Instructions For Water Bath

First, take heavy aluminum foil, and wrap it around sides and bottom of your springform pan or cheesecake pan with removable bottom. This prevents leakage while baking your cheesecake.

Place your springform pan or cheesecake pan (filled with cheesecake batter and crust) into a larger deep baking pan* that it will fit into easily.

*Note: The larger pan should be at least 2-3 inches in depth.

Place in pre-heated oven. With a kettle filled with very hot water, pour water into the larger pan about halfway up, or approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

Bake cheesecake as directed. When cheesecake is done, remove springform pan or cheesecake pan (if using) from "water bath" in oven. Carefully remove larger pan with water in it from oven. It will be very hot. Discard water when it has cooled.

Remove aluminim foil from sides and bottom of pan after your cheescake has cooled completely in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to release sides of springform pan, or remove cheesecake from a cheesecake pan with removable bottom (if using) and cheescake has cooled in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight; this is the best time to remove aluminum foil.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

To celebrate December 1st I made these puppies. I found them on a blog that I just discovered. They're yummy, delicious and so addicting. I like to eat them when they've chilled a bit in the fridge. Make them, they're so easy and fun!


Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (from eatliverun.com)

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin
1 tsp baking power
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground white pepper


Frosting: I used my cream cheese frosting (using vanilla instead of lemon)


1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar and oil. Add the pumpkin and eggs and mix well. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cloves, ginger, cinnamon, ground white pepper, salt and nutmeg.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix.
5. Scoop (or pipe) golf ball sized portions of batter onto lined baking sheets. Bake for twelve minutes. Let cool thoroughly before sandwiching together with frosting.


Have we had enough pumpkin and cream cheese recipes yet? I sure don't think so...

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Another pumpkin recipe? YES!

I buy pumpkin puree in big cans and I really don't want to waste any of the deliciousness. So here we go!

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling (Modified from Libby's recipe)

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice (just add more of the other spices if you don't have this)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
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• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin (Yeah, I use Libby's. I think it's better than the store brand stuff. But you can use whatever brand you'd like.)
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• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (I added a little extra)
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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• Powdered sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan. (Mine was 18x13. Worked just fine.) Line with wax paper, and grease and flour paper.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder, spices and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until thick and light colored. Beat in pumpkin. Carefully stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. 

3. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Turn cake over onto some wax paper sprinkled with powdered sugar. Carefully peel off top paper (the one that was lining the pan. Cover with a new piece of wax paper. Roll up cake and papers together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

4. Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar together in a small mixing bowl. Place in the fridge to thicken a bit while cake is cooling. Carefully unroll cake and remove top paper. Spread filling over cake. Reroll cake while removing bottom paper at the same time. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least for one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

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Note: My friends and I agreed that there was too much filling. Half of the filling would probably be enough for one cake roll. Use the other half for another one another day. You can also freeze the finished roll. Just wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil once completely cooled. Then pull out and let defrost in refrigerator. I hear they keep quite well for a week or two. Cutting the roll is easiest when completely cooled, or slightly frozen.

Also, the cake roll was definitely tastier the next day. So, so yummy...

Pumpkin Muffins

I bought some baking cups. They are cutsie scary and I am planning to use them for our Halloween party.

But I couldn't wait till then. I just had to try them out right now.

So I tried a new recipe from Allrecipes. Now, I won't post the actual recipe here since I think it really needs some tweaking. I can't really pinpoint what it was that didn't please me in the flavor. Maybe they need more sugar, or more/less spices? (I added more spices as suggested in the reviews and added a little more pumpkin and substituted brown sugar for white sugar.)

Or maybe it was just me, having a less than great baking day. You never know.

After spreading some cream cheese frosting on top they did taste better. Good enough to have for breakfast.

Playing with the newly bought sprinkles made this baking experience totally worth it, no matter how the muffins tasted like.

Here's the link!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's another cake mix favorite, and my husband's favorite cookie. Delicious, fragrant and oh so easy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box Spice Cake Mix
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a spoon until well mixed.
3. Drop spoonfuls of batter on cookie sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes, until set. Let cookies cool on pans for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Let cool completely.