Halloween Treats Part Two

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Cookie Crust 
Cook's notes: This recipe was a great find. It was made with only 2 packages of cream cheese so it did not seem so rich and heavy. The flavor of the gingersnap cookie crust was a nice contrast to the filling adding in fall flavors.
Recipe adapted from a Philadelphia Cream Cheese ad and serves 12.
Ingredients:
Gingersnap Crust:

• 25 gingersnap store-bought cookies (hard not soft) crushed about 1-1/2 cups
• ½ cups chopped pecans
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 1 TB. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon

Filling

• 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese softened
• ¾ cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 can of pure pumpkin puree 14.5 oz. (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 TB. flour
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mix

Directions:
Gingersnap Crust

• In a food processor break cookies in half and finely pulse to crumbs. Place crumbs in a large bowl and add in pecans, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.  
• Mix well and pat into bottom of a spring form pan. 

Filling

• Beat softened cream cheese and brown sugar.
• Add eggs in one at a time beating on low speed after each addition. Add in pumpkin, flour, vanilla and spices. Beat until smooth and pour into crust
• Bake @ 350 for 45-50 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center of cheesecake 
• Turn off oven and let sit 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and run a knife around inside rim to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on a wire rack
• Remove outside part of the spring form pan. Cover cheesecake lightly with foil
• Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Add ½ tsp. Saigon cinnamon to whip cream to garnish cheesecake.
  

Caramel Apple Cupcakes 

Cook's notes: These moist cupcakes have hints of spice, apples and caramel. They are the perfect treat for your autumn weekend. The caramel sauce may need warming in the microwave so it's easier to pour. 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for nutmeg, allspice and ginger.
Recipe adapted from Tide and Thyme and makes 18
Cupcake Ingredients:

• 2-3/4 cups flour
• 1 TB. baking powder
• 1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp.salt
• 1 cup butter or 1 stick margarine and 1 stick butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 TB.vanilla
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped (2 cups) 
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce from a jar (room temperature)

Cupcake Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
• Whisk in a bowl flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In another bowl cream sugar, butter and margarine. Beat for 4 minutes until fluffy.
• Mix in eggs one at a time and beat well.
• Mix buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup and add to butter/margarine mixture. Blend well. 
• On low speed alternate dry ingredients with wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated. 
• With a wooden spoon add in apples, caramel sauce and mix until incorporated.
• Divide the batter evenly filling each cupcake liner filling 3/4 full.
• Bake 18 minutes. 

Frosting Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce 
• 1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
• 2 TB. softened butter
• 1 tsp.vanilla
• fat free half and half

Frosting Directions:

• Beat all ingredients until frosting is smooth using only as much half and half as needed to achieve needed frosting consistency.