Have you ever needed to bring a dish to a family event and had no idea what to bring? Here are 3 desserts to spruce up your holiday spirits!
1) Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/315744623876969825/
Serves: 8 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hr 30 minutes
Crust Ingredients:
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (melted)
Cheesecake Batter:
• 4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (at room temperature)
• 3/4 cup sour cream (at room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Layer:
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (optional)
Cinnamon Whipped Cream:
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (cold)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Adjust the top rack to be positioned in the middle of the oven.
Cheesecake Crust:
• Lightly coat a 9×13-inch pan with baking spray and set aside.
• Add the “crust” ingredients to a large bowl and stir until well combined.
• Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Using a measuring cup, press the crust and try to line the sides about to the middle of the pan edges.
• Refrigerate or best freeze for at least 20 minutes.
Cheesecake Batter:
• Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy on medium-low speed.
• Add the rest of the ingredients from the “cheesecake batter” list and continue beating until well combined and creamy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
• Remove crust from freezer and pour 1/2 of the cheesecake batter mixture into the prepared pan.
• Return to freezer for about 1 hour, the layer needs to freeze enough to be able to pour the pumpkin layer on top of it.
Pumpkin Layer:
• Add the “pumpkin layer” ingredients to the remaining half of cheesecake batter that you set aside, and whisk to fully combine. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
• Remove cheesecake from the freezer and pour the pumpkin layer on top. Level the top with a spatula.
Bake:
• Bake in the preheated oven for about one hour.
• Try not to open the door to the oven. At the 45 minute mark check on the cheesecake if it’s done. A small area in the center should wobble slightly and the edges should be puffed and light golden brown.
• Turn oven off and prop open the oven door and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for one hour.
Chill:
• After one hour, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for about 2 hours, until the cheesecake is cool enough to be transferred to the refrigerator.
• Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 6-24 hours.
Cinnamon Whipped Cream:
• Add cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon to a large bowl.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whisk on slow-medium speed, gradually increasing to high speed. Mix until soft peaks form and the whipped cream holds its shape.
• Add the whipped cream to a pastry bag, fitted with a star piping tip and pipe it onto cheesecake bars right before serving.
2) Pumpkin Blossom Cookies
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/315744623876970523/
Ingredients
• 1 egg
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup) melted
• 1 package spice cake mix, 15.25 oz
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• sugar (for rolling cookies in)
• Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s Kisses
• Broken pretzels
Green Buttercream (small batch)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• kelly green food coloring
NOTE: This recipe was created in 2017, as of 2019 Hershey’s discontinued the pumpkin spice kisses. You could replace the kiss with a candy corn pumpkin or pipe a dollop of orange frosting in the middle of the cookie for the pumpkin.
Instructions
• Unwrap the pumpkin spice Hershey’s kisses. Cut the pointy tops of the kisses. Place the kisses in the freezer. This helps them maintain their shape once added to the hot cookies.
• Prepare the cookie dough. In a mixing bowl combine the egg, butter, and spice cake mix, beat with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in the cream cheese. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the buttercream. In a small mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and kelly green food coloring, beat until combined. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip.
• Preheat the oven to 350º F. Form the dough into balls, using a cookie scoop or similar. Roll the dough balls into a bowl of sugar, place on a silicone lined baking sheet, slightly flatten the tops of the balls and bake for 8 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes, then put the frozen kisses on the cookies, pressing them in slightly. Pipe on the green buttercream leaves/vines and a broken pretzel for the stem. DO NOT MOVE THE COOKIES until the kisses are completely hardened.
3) Turkey Brownies
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/315744623876970116/
Ingredients:
• Brownie Ingredients:
• Brownie Mix Prepared according to Instructions
• Hershey’s Chocolate Frosting Recipe
• Candy Corn
• Candy Eyes
Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:
• 1 Stick of Butter
• 2/3 Cup of Cocoa
• 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Milk
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
Directions:
• In a bowl combine butter and cocoa.
• Slowly add in powdered sugar and milk, alternating just a little at a time until well mixed.
• Stir in vanilla slowly.
• Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
• Decorate brownies accordingly