Pumpkin Swirl Macadamia Cheesecake

I love the holidays.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New years are just a few of those days when it's fun to break out all the fall recipes and start baking. And it's also a fun time of the year for creating. Here is a recipe I made for Thanksgiving to take to my parents home and I love that not only was it so delicious but that it was so easy to transport too. Now that's my kind of dessert. I hope you like it as much as my family and I loved it too.

 

 

Pumpkin Swirl Macadamia Cheesecake

Recipe~

( Broken down into sections)

Crust~

2 c. Pecans (but feel free to use your favorite nut meat. I envision a wonderful macadamia nut crust in the future too.)

1 tsp ginger powder

15 dates

Food process nuts and ginger powder until chopped, but not too fine. Add dates and process until mixture comes together and dates are processed. Pour and press into a greased 8-9 inch spring form pan or two 6 inch greased spring form pans. Set aside.

Filling~

1 stick vegan butter

1/2 c. flour

Over medium heat on stove, melt butter and add flour while stirring constantly. Turn up heat to high and stir while cooking for 4 minutes. Set aside and cool.

2 1/2 c. soaked and drained macadamia nuts (soak overnight and drain)

12.3 oz soft tofu

1 tsp pumpkin spice mix or allspice

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 c. agave nectar ( I used the dark nectar)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c. cream from the top of a can of coconut milk ( tip* leave can in fridge, opened overnight for a nice thick cream)

In a food processor, process all ingredients above until nuts are nice a smooth. While processor is still processing, add flour/ butter mixture in and mix until incorporated.

Then add:

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp corn starch

Add baking powder and corn starch to food processor and mix until incorporated.  Pour half of the mixture in a bowl and
Stir in:
7 oz canned pumpkin to that bowl only.

 Pour both plain mixture and pumpkin mixture into prepared crusts or crust.  Using a knife, swirl the pumpkin mixture into the plain mixture being careful not to stir up the crust.

 

 

Then Sprinkle top with mixture of:

1 tbs cinnamon

1tbs sugar

 



 Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees then turn down oven to 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until set up and light brown on top. Check center with tooth pic to make sure it's done. Cool.

 

Eat, enjoy and Love!   Happy Baking and Making~

One Bowl Pumpkin Blondies

I'm having cravings. My cravings are turning me into a crazed bake-aholic. Today, I was craving chocolaty oozy gooey brownies.  Just as I  was getting ready to bake them, it dawned on me I had leftover pumpkin in my refrigerator from Thanksgiving.  The one thing I hate the most is waste so I decided to scrap the Brownie plan and shoot for a Pumpkin Blondie instead.  I've never made Blondies before so this was an attempt to use leftovers and to make something tasty to curb my outrageous cravings.  Here we go...

One Bowl Pumpkin Blondies

1 stick Vegan butter
1/2 c pumpkin
1 tsp baking powder
3 ener-G eggs
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 package Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Pumpkin Spice flavor (*If it's hard to find since it is seasonal, omit and add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp allspice or pumpkin pie spice)

Spray bottom of 9x11 pan with cooking spray. (*this is not a 9x13 pan.  I found this odd size at a baking store because it was bigger than an 9x9 but that'd work too) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a microwave proof bowl, melt butter.  Mix with pumpkin, vanilla, sugar, and salt.  Add flour, baking powder, ener-G eggs, and Pumpkin spice packet and stir well.  Pour into 9X11 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let cool.

We couldn't wait for it to cool.  We're bad like that.  But I liked it.

Eat. Eat another. Eat one more...tell no one! 

 

Enjoy.  We sure did.