Pumpkin Amaretto Cheesecake

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2 cups crushed shortbread cookies
¼ cup toasted finely chopped almonds
⅓ cup melted unsalted butter

16 oz room temperature cream cheese
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
2 eggs
4 egg whites
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
3 tblsp flour
½ cup sour cream
2 tblsp amaretto --- or more, depending on your taste ;-)

1 cup whipping cream
½ tsp almond extract
¼ cup powdered sugar
Fresh grated nutmeg, for garnish

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In an 8” springform pan, mix cookie crumbs, almonds and melted butter.
• Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom and sides of the pan.
• Refrigerate crust until ready to fill.
• In a large bowl using electric mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth.
• Add in brown sugar, blending until thoroughly mixed.
• Add pumpkin, and eggs, blending until smooth.
• Add cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, sour cream and Amaretto until blended.
• In a separate bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed until soft peaks form.
• Fold egg white mixture into the cheese mixture.
• Pour combined mixture into prepared crust.
• Set springform on a cookie sheet.
• Bake 60-90 minutes, until center is almost set and jiggles slightly.
• Turn off oven and let cake stay in oven with oven door propped open until completely cooled.
• Remove from oven and chill uncovered overnight in refrigerator.
• Remove sides of pan.
• Beat whipping cream, almond extract and sugar until soft peaks form.
• Spread on chilled cake just before serving.
• Sprinkle freshly grated nutmeg on top as garnish.

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Key Lime Pie

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This is SO easy to make, only takes 3 ingredients plus a graham cracker crust and a lime for garnish, and it tastes unbelievable! 

1 Graham Cracker Crust
1/2 cup Key Lime Juice
8oz Cool Whip
14oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Lime for Garnish
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Mix the juice, cool whip and milk in a bowl until well blended.
If desired, mix in about six drops of green food coloring.
Pour mixture into the pie crust.
Chill.
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For the garnish, slice two slices of the lime.
Cut the limes slices in half.
Cut each half-slice in half, but don't cut through the peel.
Twist each half, being careful not to break the peel.
Place each half in the middle of the pie in a "+" sign

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake

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1 Roll of frozen peanut butter cookie dough, thawed
5 pkgs cream cheese (8oz each), softened, room temp
1 ½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
8oz sour cream, room temperature
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, room temperature
1 cup peanut butter, room temperature
Crumbled Reese’s peanut butter cups
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Preheat oven to 325º F.
Press the cookie dough into the bottom of a 9” spring form pan.
Cream the cheese and sugar together until smooth.
Gradually add the flour and mix until combined.
Beating on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, until just blended.
Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until just blended.
Do not over-mix the batter.
Pour over the cookie dough crust and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours (or more) or until set.
I usually allow mine to set overnight.

* When baking, be sure to place the cheesecake pan on a cookie sheet, as the cookie dough crust will produce oils that you don’t want in the bottom of your oven.

* Be sure to place the cake pan in or on something to avoid direct contact with your refrigerator shelf.

Bread Pudding w/ Vanilla Sauce

Bread Pudding:

1 - 16oz loaf of bread, torn into small pieces
1.5 cups sugar
4 eggs
4 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon to taste
6 pats butter

Preheat oven to 350.
Butter a 9x13 pan.
Mix together the sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla.
Spread bread pieces evenly in the bottom of the pan.
Pour mixture over bread and press lightly until all bread is moist.
(Note: I add a cup of raisins and chopped walnuts or pecans at this point. S'up to you!)
Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
Top with six pats of butter.

Bake for 50 minutes.

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Vanilla Sauce:

1 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour

Bring water, vanilla and butter to a boil.
Mix sugar and cornstarch (or flour) together then stir into the boiling water mixture.
Reduce heat and stir until mixture starts to thicken.
Pour over baked bread pudding and allow it to set for a few minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy!

If you make this, drop me a comment to let me know what you thought.