Swirly Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares

I think this recipe came from a Fall 2009 issue of Food/Family put out by Kraft Foods.  But!, if you google "pumpkin-swirl cheesecake", I think you'll come up with over 200,000 websites.  In case that isn't enough, I'll post the recipe I 'modified' for these.

Here's an extra note that will mean nothing to anyone else but me:  "The little plate shown above is part of a dinnerware set that my mother bought for my older sister's wedding dinner in July of 1950--  therefore, it is special... to ME!"   (This older sister and her husband will be celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary in July!)  

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THE CRUST:

• One "greased or sprayed" 9x13-inch baking pan or dish (I used glass)
• 2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (about one and one-half wrapped sleeves?).
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• One pinch of salt IF you use UNsalted butter; add NO salt if you use salted butter.

DIRECTIONS FOR CRUST:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Crush graham crackers into crumbs, or put into food processor until you have 2 cups of finely 'crumbed' crackers.
• Add sugar, mix in.
• Add melted butter and mix well (with a utensil, OR fingers).
• Add salt ONLY IF you used UNsalted butter.
• Dump this mixture into prepared pan/dish.  Using the flat bottom of a glass, gently pack down into an even layer.
• Bake for exactly 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, and let cool for about 10 minutes.  
• While the crust is baking/cooling, prepare the cheesecake part.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THE CHEESECAKE LAYER:

• 4 of 8 oz. packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened.
• 1 cup sugar, divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup portions.
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs (large)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash (about 1/8 teaspoon?) ground cloves

DIRECTIONS FOR CHEESECAKE LAYER:

• Reduce oven temperature to 325-degrees.
• Beat cream cheese until very smooth (I use my food processor for this).
• Add just 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla to the cream cheese.
• Add eggs, ONE at a time, beating after each just until smoothly blended.
• Remove 1 and 1/2 cups of this batter and set aside.
• Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, canned pumpkin and spices into the remaining batter.
• Spoon half the pumpkin batter onto slightly cooled crust; top with spoonfuls of just HALF the plain batter.  Repeat layers one more time. (You'll end up with layers of pumpkin batter, spooned on plain batter, pumpkin batter and then finishing with spoonfuls of plain batter.)
• By gently moving a thin knife (or thin dowel) through the batter, you'll create the 'SWIRLS'-- like this...

• Bake for 45 minutes, or until center is ALMOST set.  Cool completely.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting.  Coming out of the oven, mine looked like this...

I made this yesterday afternoon, cooled it on the counter, then covered it with Saran Wrap and refrigerated it overnight.  This was so easy to cut into these squares this morning...

Below:  Because I wanted to share these with several friends, I put four squares into each of the little storage containers shown below.  Just before covering them, I drizzled some caramel ice cream topping over them...

IF you make these, I hope you LIKE them!

Layered Raspberry Dessert

Wayne's mother, Muriel, would often make this for dessert-- sometimes using other fruit and Jell-O combinations (frozen strawberries in strawberry Jell-O, etc.).  

Here, I'm showing this dessert made with a pretzel crust and frozen raspberries in raspberry Jell-O.............

I had this ready for our 7 P.M. 'Serve the Missionaries' meal last night.   But,... the meal for them did NOT happen.  Why?   Because, they called and explained, their car had run out of gas somewhere between Milwaukee and Stevens Point. (BOYS!!!)  By the time they got fuel and arrived in Point (still an hour away from us), our clock's 'little hand' was already  touching the 7, and the 'long hand'-- the 12!   Because of that, they decided they'd better head right back to where they make their home.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350-degrees.  Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish (glass looks better).  

To save a bit of time, you can actually start making this dessert by preparing the THIRD LAYER first so it can 'set up' a little bit while making the rest.

FIRST LAYER (crust layer):

ONE choice of crust for this dessert is...

2 c. crushed pretzel sticks (the little sticks crush the easiest)
3/4 c. melted butter
3 tbsp. sugar

Mix all together and press into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes. (Watch carefully after 6 minutes.)  Let cool completely.

ANOTHER choice for a 'lower sodium' 

crust for this dessert is this version...

1 and 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 finely chopped pecans

Use a pastry cutter (or food processor) to cut the butter into the flour until small bean size crumbs; stir in copped pecans.  Dump into prepared baking dish and lightly press down with fingertips.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until very lightly browned.  Cool completely.

SECOND LAYER:  (The WHITE/Middle layer)

8-oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix the cream cheese and sugar together until very smooth!  Then, mix in the following:

1 of 12 oz. tub of thawed Cool Whip topping  (OR, you can use whipped whipping cream if you wish).
Spread this combined mixture on the cooled crust.  Chill in refrigerator for about 10 minutes.



THIRD  LAYER for the top:  

1 (6 oz.) raspberry Jello
2 c. hot water
Up to 2 cups frozen raspberries 

Dissolve Jello in hot water. Cool in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.  Add frozen berries. Stir until they are unfrozen. Let thicken slightly.  When you are ready to add the 'top layer' (which is this fruity Jell-O layer), pour over cream cheese layer.*  

Refrigerate at least 2-4 hours, but overnight is best.  Cut into squares and serve.

* Optional:  Top with thin layer of whipped cream or Cool Whip; you can also sprinkle chopped pecans on top of whipped topping  if desired.

Toffee Bars

M-m-m-m-m, ...after combining relatively few ingredients and then adding some heat, just look... what... happened!

The taste of these baked squares remind me a little of the soda cracker/chocolate treat which I've listed in this blog's CANDY section.  That, or the toffee candy that is made by so many around Christmastime.  

Above: This Toffee Bars recipe comes from my 

very old and much used Betty Crocker cookbook.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Line a 10x15" baking pan with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with non-stick oil.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed  (light brown sugar, or dark brown  sugar)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 of 1.65 oz.Hershey milk chocolate candy bars, broken into 1" pieces  (I used 18-19 of the miniature Hershey bars which I bought in a 10.78 oz. bag on '50% off clearance' after trick or treat season).  
  You can also use milk chocolate chips sprinkled over the top.
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans, optional 

DIRECTIONS:

• Cream together the butter and brown sugar (beat for at least 2 minutes to better dissolve the sugar).
• Stir in egg yolk and vanilla, and beat for a few seconds.
• Add the flour and stir only until it is evenly combined.  Dough will be thick.
• Using a spoon, drop little 'splotches' of dough all over on your foiled/sprayed baking pan.  Now, with the back of a dampened spoon,  spread the dough into an even layer. 
  
  Before you start spreading these 'splotches' out, you'll have this... 

• Below:  Bake at 350-degrees for about 15 minutes, OR until it is just a light golden brown.

• Below: Arrange chocolate pieces on hot layer.  Set aside for 5 minutes, while chocolate softens/melts.

• Below: With the back of a spoon, spread the melted chocolate to cover the baked bars. (I use the end of a wooden dowel or handle of a wooden spoon to make swirly designs in the soft chocolate.)

• Below: Sprinkle with some finely chopped pecans, optional.

Let bars cool until chocolate is 'firmed up' (on a cold porch, or in a refrigerator, etc.)  When firm, using the edges of the foil lining, lift the whole slab from the pan.  Remove the foil, put 'the slab' onto a cutting board and cut into squares. I have found that IF my 'slab' is TOO cold/hard when I first try to cut them, they will crack into irregular shapes.  Some people don't mind, but,................since I want neatly cut squares, I let the 'slab' sit at room temperature for maybe 10 minutes before cutting away with a knife (carver's type knife) which is long enough to reach across the pan.

 ♥▼♥