Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

CRUST
1 ½ c purchased chocolate cookie crumbs
½ stick (4 Tbsp) butter, melted

FILLING
3 bricks (8 oz each) 1/3-less fat cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 large eggs
½ c reduced-fat sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c (6 oz) milk-chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 c canned 100% pure pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 c (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 Tbsp stick butter
1 Tbsp light corn syrup

Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-in. springform pan with nonstick spray. Have ready a roasting pan larger than the springform pan.
CRUST: Put crumbs in a small bowl; stir in butter until evenly moistened. Press firmly over bottom of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until set. Cool on rack. Wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty foil. Reduce oven temperature to 300ºF.
FILLING: Beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until smooth, scraping sides of bowl several times with a rubber spatula. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, just until blended. Beat in sour cream and vanilla to combine. Divide batter evenly between 3 medium bowls. Stir in melted milk chocolate into 1 bowl; pour into crust in an even layer. Whisk pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice 2nd bowl. Carefully spoon over chocolate layer to cover, then gently smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula (take care batters don’t run together). Stir semisweet chocolate into remaining batter. Carefully spoon over pumpkin layer; spread carefully as above.
Set springform pan in center of roasting pan. Place roasting pan in oven rack and add boiling water to come halfway up sides of springform pan.
Bake 1 ½ hours to 1 ¾ hours until set, but center still jiggles slightly when shaken.
Turn oven off (leave door closed); let cake cool for 1 hour (if cake hasn’t pulled away from sides of pan, carefully run a thin knife around edge of pan to release cake). Remove foil. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack. Cover refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Stir ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
Remove pan sides; place cake on serving plate. Spread glaze over top to edge (some may drip down side of cake). Refrigerate until glaze sets.

Serves 12
Per serving: 580 cal, 11g pro, 57g carb, 2g fiber, 35g fat (20g sat fat), 112mg chol, 425mg sod

Frosted Pumpkin Softies

I can hardly wait for FALL to officially be here! I love the colors, the smells... I especially love smells from the kitchen....


Yesterday I made these cookies for the families that John home-teaches. This recipe comes from the cookbook Old Fashioned Cookies. It's illustrated by Debbie Mumm. I thought they were divine (John and Braxton really liked them too)! They are not too sweet, but still have just enough to satisfy that sweet-tooth of mine.

Frosted Pumpkin Softies

1 c (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened

3/4 c granulated sugar

3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar

1 c canned pumpkin

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2-1/2 c quick cooking oats, uncooked

1-3/4 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp salt

1. Heat oven to 350. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla; beat well. Add combined oats, flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt; mix well.

2. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Yield: 4 dozen

Frosting:

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

2-1/2 c powdered sugar

1. Beat together cream cheese, milk and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Frost top of each cookie. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

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I ran out of frosting for the last dozen... but I think the cookies are just as good without the frosting!