Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Thanksgiving is just 2 days!

This is one of my favorite meals of the year.

We don't like Pumpkin Pie in our family (it's a texture thing!)

That is why we have Pumpkin Cheesecake on Thanksgiving.

Recipe {HERE}

It got me thinking...what if I converted another popular pie into a Cheesecake?

Pecan Pie Cheesecake was born!

You guys....this recipe is TO DIE FOR.
Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas or just because!

I am so excited to share it with you! 

Here is what you need:

Crust:

• Package of Fudge Stripe Cookies (24 cookies)
•  1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Place fudge stripe cookies & sugar in a ziplock bag:

Use a rolling pin to crush them:

 Once they are crushed, add the melted butter to the bag & mix together.

Press into a Springform Pan:

Cheesecake Filling:

•  4 packages of cream cheese (I use 1/3 fat, don't use fat free, it will change the flavor & consistency!)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup Sour Cream (I use light)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Melt the cream cheese in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to soften it up.

In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese & eggs and mix for 4 minutes.

Add  sour cream, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla & almond extract.

Mix for another 3-4 minutes, you want this mixture to be very, very smooth!

Add cream cheese mixture to Springform pan.

Bake at 350 for 45- 50 minutes until the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven & keep in Springform pan.

Run a knife around edges of cheesecake but don’t take out of the pan until completely cooled.

Put in the fridge to cool.

I keep it in the fridge overnight, but if you were making this the day of, you can keep in the fridge for 4-5 hours (or the freezer if you need to speed up the cooling!)

Pecan Topping:

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4  cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup chopped pecans

In a small saucepan combine butter and brown sugar. 

Cook for 3-5 min or until very bubbly, then stir in cinnamon, heavy whipping cream and chopped pecans. Cool to room temperature.
Release the sides of springform pan and spoon the topping over cooled cheesecake.

Store the cake in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

 I also like to add fresh whipped cream to my cheesecake...go big or go home ;) 

(or use store bought, if you prefer!)

Fresh Whipped Cream:

• Half pint of whipping cream
• ¼ cup white sugar
•  1 teaspoon vanilla

Keep your beaters in the freezer & when you are ready to serve, you can whip up the fresh whipped cream.

Add the whipping cream, sugar & vanilla and whip it all together for several minutes until desired consistency!

Add a dollop to each slice!

This Pecan Pie Cheesecake is SOOOO decadent. 

I have never made anything like it before.

Another great subsitution for Pie on Thanksgiving....you get the best of both worlds, Pie & Cheesecake.

You can make this cheesecake 1 or 2 days before you serve it, (make sure you keep it refrigerated before & after serving it) Then right before you serve it you can make the whipped cream.
Pecan Pie + Cheesecake...YUM!

Enjoy!
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Don't forget to link up with us tomorrow for What's Up Wednesday!

The bonus question is:
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?

Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cake

Yeah.

You read that right.

Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cake.

 One of my favorite combonations is peanut butter & chocolate, especially Reeses PB cups.

If you are a peanut butter & chocolate fan, this ice cream cake is for you!

Here is what you need:

- 1 3/4 cups crushed Graham Crackers (which is 1 sleeve of Graham crackers, plus 3 graham crackers) 

- 1/4 cup Melted Butter

- Chocolate Magic Shell

- Caramel Syrup

- Skippy Salted Caramel Peanut Butter

- Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

- 4 Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, chopped 

Put your Graham Crackers in a gallon plastic bag & get out your rolling pin!

 Roll until they are crushed nice & fine:

 Pour crushed graham crackers into a Springform pan (you can also use an 8x8 or 9x9 pan if you don't have a Springform pan)

 Add the 1/4 Cup of melted butter to the crumbs and mix togther with your hands to make sure the crumbs are all coated:

Put in freezer for 20 minutes.

While your crust is in the freezer, take out your ice cream so that it softens up.

Also, chop up the 4 reeces peanut butter cups (these are part of your garnish/topping)

After 20 minutes, take out your crust and spoon in the ice cream onto the crust:

Freeze for 1-2 hours.

Now it's time to make the Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Sauce.

When I saw the Skippy Salted Caramel Peanut Butter, I knew I needed to use it for some sort of dessert.

I melted 2 Tablespoons of this Peanut Butter & then added it to 1 cup of Caramel (I used store bought caramel & added the PB & caramel to a squeeze bottle:

Add your chopped Reeses PB cups to the top of the ice cream cake:

Then add some of the Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Sauce:

YUM.

Then add the Chocolate Magic Shell to the top:

I mean...look at this.....are you drooling?

This ice cream cake is super easy to make & it is a crowd favorite!

If you love peanut butter, caramel & chocolate, you will love this cake!

It's a perfect dessert for a summer night!
Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post was written as part of my participation in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. While Hormel Foods provides me material and necessary resources to complete various activities, the thoughts and statements in this post are my own.

Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake

I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but here in California, we are in a heat wave.

A heat wave in October. Not okay.

It has been in the 90's everyday since October 1st.

Yes, you read that right. 90+ degrees in October.

Over the weekend it was 97 degrees.

California hasn't gotten the message that it is Fall.

I know I shouldn't be complaining, but wearing shorts & flip flops in October is just wrong.

All I want to do is wear boots & scarves and eat all the pumpkin!

One of my favorite things to make is my Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Cheesecake

But, because it is too hot to turn on my oven & bake, I decided to make something with Pumpkin Ice Cream.

Pumpkin Ice Cream is only available in the Fall, so as soon as it hits the stores, I stock up on it.

One of my favorite after dinner treats is a bowl of Pumpkin Ice Cream topped with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, some pecans & chocolate chips. It is delicious!

Earlier this week I wanted to make something pumpkin-y that didn't require me to use my oven. 

I immediately thought of making a Pumpkin Ice Cream cake using those toppings that I love putting on my pumpkin ice cream. I can't believe I hadn't thought of this yet!

I make ice cream cakes all the time!

 Oreo Mud Pie Ice Cream Cake {HERE}

Mint Oreo Ice Cream Pie {HERE}

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake {HERE}

I am so excited about my newest creation......

 It is soooooo easy! And sooooo good! 

Here is what you need:

 - Pumpkin Ice Cream

- 30 Gingersnaps (which is about 1 3/4 cups crushed Gingersnaps)

- Chocolate Magic Shell

- Caramel Syrup

- 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

-Mini Chocolate Chips

-Chopped Pecans (optional)

Put your Gingersnaps in a gallon plastic bag & get out your rolling pin!

I roll about half at a time.

 Roll until they are fine crumbs.

 Pour the crumbs into a Springform Pan (mine is a 9 inch). Pour on the melted butter & mix together and press into the pan.

***TIP- Put a parchment paper or wax paper on the bottom of your pan before you add the crumbs. I totally forgot to to this, but it will make it easier to remove the crust from the pan!****

Place in freezer for 15-20 minutes.

Set out your ice cream so that it softens up.

Scoop the ice cream onto your crust.

Spread it all around.

 Place back into the freezer for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to serve your ice cream cake, take it out of the freezer & undo the springform pan.

 (This is when it comes in handy to have the parchment paper/wax paper on the bottom so you can easily slide the cake onto a cake stand)

As you are ready to serve your cake, sprinkle on some mini chocolate chips, chopped up pecans (optional), drizzle on the Caramel Sauce and then Chocolate Magic Shell:

 Look at this amazingness:

 The magic shell will harden up in just a minute or so.

You can also sprinkle on some more crushed gingersnaps if you want!

I think my favorite part of this cake was the gingersnap crust. If you aren't a fan of gingersnaps, you could make a Graham Cracker crust instead.

Eating this Pumpkin Ice Cream cake has made the 90 degree weather in October a little more tolerable. Even when the weather cools down, I will still be making this cake! 

It was so easy to make & can easily be made ahead of time!

Enjoy!

Cranberry Cookie Bars

This is one of my favorite cookie bars to make during the Christmas season.

They are easy to make & a nice switch up from "traditional" Christmas cookies.

 Here is what you need for the Base:

• 1 cup of butter (softened)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3 cups of flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Cinnamon Sugar

Combine ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix.

Mix until all ingredients are combined together.

Spread mixture into a jelly roll pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

While the base is baking, start making the filling. 

Here is what you need for the filling:

• 1 bag of fresh cranberries
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of Orange Juice
• 1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch

Put all filling ingredients into a pot on the stove.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat & let simmer until the berries start popping & sauce thickens.

Cool slightly & spread over base.

So pretty.

Now, it's time to make the topping!

Here is what you need:

•  1/2 cup of flour
• 1 cup of oatmeal
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 Stick of Butter

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until crumbly.

 Sprinkle on top of Cranberries.

Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

When cool, cut into squares.

Yum!

There are 3 Christmas cookies I make every year.
These Cranberry Cookie Bars, these & these.
And, of course I make sort of cookie that has chocolate in them ;)
They all have such different flavors....it is nice to have a variety of treats!
 Happy Baking!
Enjoy!