Brownielocks and The 3 Bears
present
A few untraditional

 Cranberry Swirl Pumpkin Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350F

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until creame cheese is smooth and there are no lumps. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one is added. Then add the pumpkin, spices and salt. Mix until well combined.

2.  Pour about 3/4 cup of this pumpkin mixture into the crust. Even this out with a spoon. Then pour about 1/3 cup of the cranberry mixture (you puréed in advance remember?) on top of the pumpkin mixture. Then pour the remaining pumpkin mixture and then pour the remaining cranberry mixture.  Now, using a toothpick, swirl these two mixtures together. Warning: Do not be too vigorous so you blend this all in as a mess. And do not scrape the crust! You just want swirls.

3. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour (depending on your oven).  Cheesecake will be slightly jiggly in the middle only!  Cool this completely at room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator overnight.  If you can't wait that long, then keep it at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Serves: 8

Colorful Autumn Leaves Cookies

Preheat Oven to 350F

1.  Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl (using electric mixer at medium speed) until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Then add the flour, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves. Beat at low speed until well blended.

2.  Divide the dough into 5 sections (put each in separate bowl).  Take the first section and stir the 2 tablespoons of cocoa into it. (This makes the brown for the leaves.)

3.  Take the next section and mix in Yellow food coloring. Then the next section for the red food coloring. And the next section for the orange food coloring. And the last section with the green food coloring.

4.  You can lightly grease the cookie sheets. I'm a real fan of parchment paper myself.

5.  Take 1/2 of each color of cookie dough from each bowl and work it together so that when you roll it out it comes out all splattered with colors.  Then with a leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut out your leaf cookies. You can do them all the same size or if you have some of different sizes that's OK too.

6.  Place these 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until edges are just lightly browned.

7. While they are baking, work the last of the dough together like you did the first and roll and cut out the same way.

8.  Bake this last group of cookies 10-15 minutes also until the edges are lightly browned.

9.  Cool these completely!

10.  Now for the leaf veins:

        Place the chocolate chips in a re-sealable plastic food bag. Seal and then microwave on HIGH for 1 min..  Knead the bag a bit. Microwave on HIGH again for about 30 seconds.  (This all varies per microwave power)
Keep doing this until all the chips are melted, kneading after each 30 second time period of micro waving.  When the chips are all melted then...

Cut a teensy hole at the end of the bag and pipe the chocolate on the cookies like veins.

Allow the chocolate to dry at least 8 hours.

Makes?  12 to 18 cookies depending on the size of your leaf cutter.

What else can you do with cranberries?

Cranberry Stuffing

1.  Combine the berries and sugar and let them sit 30 minutes.
2.  Sauté the celery and parsley in the butter.
3.  Add the crumbs and seasonings. Then add the sugared cranberries.
4.  Blend thoroughly. 
5.  Then stuff your turkey and cook according to it's size etc.

For desserts?

Cranberry Tapioca

3 Tblsp. quick-cooking Tapioca 1  1/2 Cups Boiling Water 1  1/2 Cups Cranberries

3/4 Cup Cold Water 3/4 Cup Sugar Grated rind of 1  1/2 Oranges

1. Add tapioca slowly to boiling water and cook 5 minutes or until clear. Stir Constantly!
2. (In separate pan) Add cranberries to cold water until berries pop.
3. When the berries do pop, add the sugar and orange rind.  Cook 5 minutes in this pan. 
4. Then stir the tapioca mixture into the cranberry mixture pan. Then chill it.
Serves: 6

Cranberry Pudding

1  1/4 Cups Fresh Cranberries 1/3 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar 1/3 Cup Chopped Pecans 1 Egg (Beaten)

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour 5 1/2 Tablespoons (1/3 Cup) of Butter that's been melted.

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Put the cranberries in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the cranberries and toss gently.
3. Mix in the chopped pecans and turn into and un-greased 9" pie plate.
4. In another medium bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Pour this over the cranberry mixture.
5. Bake for 45 minutes
(Can be served hot or cold)  Top with whipped cream or ice cream
Makes: 8 servings.

Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie

1   3/4 Cups  Gingersnap Crumbs 3 Tablespoons margarine (melted) Cooking Spray

15 ounce can of Pumpkin 1/2 Cup Liquid Egg Substitute 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together ginger crumbs and margarine. Press firmly into a 9" pie plate coated with the cooking spray. Set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Mix well and pour into the crust.
4. Cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent burning.
5. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes.  Then reduce the oven to 350F and bake 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted 1" from the pie comes out clean. 
6. Cool before serving.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Makes: 6 servings

Orange-Scented Sweet Potatoes

1.  Preheat the oven to 350F (180 degrees C or Mark 4 Gas)
2.  Peel the sweet potatoes and put the flesh into a food processor
     along with the remaining ingredients.
3. Process until smooth.
4. Bake the puree in a casserole dish until heated through, about 15
     minutes.
5.  Garnish with the peacans and serve hot.

or...

6. For more drama, spoon the hot puree into halved, hollowed out orange shells and garnish with the pecans.

CRANBERRY-PEAR PIE

+  1 deep dish pie crush, unbaked.

1.  Preheat the oven to 375F (190 C or Mark 5 Gas)
2.  Place the filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir well,
     making sure the pears are evenly coated with the cinnamon.

3.  Put the mixture in the pie crust.
4.  For the topping, crumble together the sugar, flour and margarine.
5.  Add only more small amounts of flour if necessary, until  the mix
     forms small crumbs.
6.  Sprinkle these crumbs over the pie, covering it totally.
7.  Bake at temperatures required in #1. for 30 minutes or until the
     crumb topping is golden brown and the pears and cranberries are
     soft. You can test this using a toothpick!
8.  Cool for 1 hour before serving.

Pear Bread

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.
2.  In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
3.  Add the butter (probably have to use fingers?) until the mixture is crumbly.
4.  In another small bowl, beat the eggs, then add the buttermilk and vanilla.
5.  Add the egg mixture to the crumbly flour mixture until moist.
6.  Fold in the pears.
7. Spoon into 3 greased 5"x2 1/2"x2" mini loaf pans.  Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes.
      (Or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center of the loaf.)
8.  Cool in the pans 10 minutes.
9.  Then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 3 Mini-loaves.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
(The cinnamon blends the chocolate with the pumpkin deliciously!)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs, add the sugar, pumpkin and oil.
     Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients until moist.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Pour into two  greased 8"x4"x2" loaf pans and bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes.
     (Or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.)
6. Cool 10 minutes before removing from the pans and placing on a wire rack to
     cool completely.

Makes: 2 loaves

 

What about leftovers?

Cranberry Turkey Loaf

1/2 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce 2 Lbs. Turkey (or chicken?) 3/4 Cup (6 oz.) Evaporated Milk 2 TBLsp. bottled steak sauce

2 TBLsp. Ketchup 1 Tsp. Prepared Mustard 3/4 Cup Cracker Crumbs 2 Eggs 1/2 Tsp. Italian Seasoning 1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder 2 TBLsp. Diced Onions Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F

1. Grease a 9" loaf pan.  Sprinkle the brown sugar over the bottom of this pan. 
2. Spread the cranberry sauce evenly over the sugar.  Set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.
4.  Shape mixture into a loaf and set in the pan on top of the cranberry sauce.  Pat down the loaf until firm and smooth.
5.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes (or until done).
6.  Let it set for about 5 minutes, then invert the loaf  onto a serving platter.

(The sugar and cranberry sauce make a delicious sweet & sour topping!)

Serves: 4 to 6 people

 

 

Has a good stuffing recipe

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