Hello Pumpkin!!

This holiday season, these pumpkin desserts that go beyond the traditional.  From a creamy pumpkin cheesecake with hints of vanilla to to an awesome pumpkin mousse that was a hit at the table, these are great ways to doctor up the boring ole Pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin Cheesecake 

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups finely ground gingersnap cookies

1/4 cup finely ground walnuts

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1-3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 eggs

1 teaspoon Spice Islands Vanilla Extract

1-1/2 teaspoons Spice Islands Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500ºF.

Combine gingersnaps, walnuts, sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Press into the bottom and 1-inch up the side of a 10-inch non-stick springform pan. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour with an electric mixer until smooth. Add 5 eggs, one at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed. Transfer 2-1/2 cups to a separate bowl; set aside. Beat 1 egg, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin into remaining filling until smooth. Pour half of pumpkin filling into crust, then half of the plain; repeat. Swirl gently with a spoon.

Bake at 500ºF for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 200ºF and bake 30 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil and continue baking for 1 hour or until center appears nearly set. Run a knife around top of cake to loosen from pan. Turn off oven and open door to allow cake to cool gradually for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and finish cooling on a rack for 15 minutes, then chill in refrigerator at least 6 hours.

TIP: Place a pan of water in the oven with the cheesecake while baking. This will help prevent the cake from cracking.

Pumpkin Mousse

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

1 package instant vanilla or butterscotch pudding mix

1 Tablespoon Spice Islands pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands Vanilla

1 teaspoon Spice Islands Cinnamon

1 cup cold milk

1 small tub of cool whip

Vanilla Wafers or Graham Cracker Cookies

Directions:

Begin by creaming a package of cream cheese in the mixer for about 3 minutes.  Add a 1/3 cup of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla.  Mix until the consistency is even.  Add 15oz of canned pumpkin.  Mix until combined.  Add 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, a 3.4oz package of vanilla or butterscotch pudding and 1 cup of milk.  Mix for another 3 minutes until consistency thickens. Remove from mixer and use spatula to fold an 8oz. tub of cool whip into the pudding mixture. Add a spoonful of pumpkin mousse to your dessert dishes, a tablespoon of crushed gingersnap cookies, followed by another spoonful of pumpkin mousse.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. Source

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