Pumpkin White Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust

25 (2 inch) Gingersnap Cookies

2 Tbsp. Sugar

3-4 Tbsp. Butter

Crush the gingersnaps and mix in sugar and butter. Press into bottom of springform pan. (If I don't have the gingersnaps, I substitute about 7 graham crackers and add about 1/2 tsp. each of ginger and cinnamon.)

Filling

3 (8oz. ea.) packages Cream Cheese- softened

1 C. Sugar

3/4 C. canned Pumpkin

1 C. White Chocolate Chips (1/2 C. of it melted)

3 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg

Blend cream cheese and sugar. Mix in pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Finally add in both melted and nonmelted white chocolate chips. Pour over crust and bake @ 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Sprinkle on topping if desired. Allow to cool then put in refrigerator to set up (at least 4 hours).

Topping (optional)

1/2 C. chopped Almonds

2 Tbsp Butter

1 tsp Sugar

Process all ingredients in food processor. Spread out on baking sheet and bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes (or until toasted).

Heather Farar

German Cheese Cake

Crust

1/2 Stick (4 Tbsp) Butter- softened, but not melted

1 C. Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 C. Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tbsp. Milk (or water)

Beat first four ingredients, then add egg and milk. Press into bottom of spring form pan. (Butter your fingers to keep them from sticking to the dough.)

Filling

2 packages (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese- softened

2 C. (1 pint) Cottage Cheese

1 1/2 C. Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla

1/2 tsp. Salt

6 egg yolks

1/3- 1/2 C. Flour

6 egg whites- beaten stiff

Mix cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sugar. Add vanilla, salt, and egg yolks. Blend in flour. Batter should be smooth (except for cottage cheese bits) and fluffy. Carefully fold in beaten egg whites. Pour over crust then bake @ 350 degrees for 70 minutes. Top will be quite dark and will probably crack. When time is up, do not remove cake, turn off oven, and insert wooden spoon in oven door to allow cake to cool slowly. Leave cake in oven until completely cool (overnight). Remove sides of pan and dust top of cake with powdered sugar.

PS- This recipe is for a large (10 in.) springform pan. If you have a smaller one, I believe a half recipe would be just about right. (Otherwise just bake any leftover in a bread pan.)

Heather Farar

Cranberry Almond Pound Cake

2 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. + 2 T. unsalted butter
3 t. almond extract
6 eggs
1 c. sour cream (full-fat is best for super moist cake!)

1/4 c. water
1/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3 c. flour
2 c. cranberries (fresh or frozen)

Glaze:

2 T. water
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Mix sugar, butter and almond extract. Add eggs and sour cream, mix well. Mix in water. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix. Add flour and mix well. Fold in cranberries (rinse first to make sure there aren't twigs or bad berries in the bunch). Butter/flour a bundt pan. Pour the batter into the buttered pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour or more. Test with a toothpick. Rest for a few minutes in the pan before inverting and cooling on rack. When barely warm, drizzle with glaze.