Journey Into Deliciousness

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 45 minutes (45 minutes prep, 1 hour bake)

Yield: 1 cheesecake

Source: Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

I love this cheesecake! It is a softer cheesecake, but deliciously rich and pumpkin-y. Pumpkin pie had always been the norm for Thanksgiving. Last year I decided I wanted to try something new. I wasn't 100% sure of pumpkin cheesecake - to me it just sounded kind of odd. Cream cheese and pumpkin? I don't know. I eventually decided that if I didn't like it somebody would, it had someplace to go where people would eat it - one of the nice things about having family nearby, right? Turns out that wasn't an issue at all! Everybody thought it was scrumptious. I've made it 4 or 5 times since. So good, perfect for the holidays!

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Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grade: A

Time it takes: Around 50 minutes (20-30 minutes prep, 8-10 minutes baking per baking sheet)

Yield: Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Source: Stephanie Cooks - a food blog (Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies)

I made these the same day I made the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. These cookies are super different from each other, so I think I picked the best two recipes to try out together. The CPBC cookies were super soft and cake-like, these were crunchy and had a spicy bite to them. I loved the way the pumpkin spices tasted in the form of a cookie, perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for the fall. Out of the two I favoured the CPBC cookies, but my husband Chris couldn't get enough of the pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies.

I also doubled this recipe so I had enough to go around, and I ended up with around 50 cookies (maybe a few more but Chris kept stealing them right out of the oven before I could get a final count).

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Pumpkin Pie

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 30 minutes (30 minutes prep, 1 hour baking)

Yield: 2 pies

Source: From the Libby's can!

I love pumpkin pie! It is seriously so good. I wait all year for October so I can make them again. Because pumpkin pie is only as good as the season you eat it in.... I wait all year for October anyway because it is my favourite month, and favourite season all rolled into one. It is too bad I live in Florida where October is not that exciting.

I made pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake (recipe to follow) for Canadian Thanksgiving this year. Well, it went so fast I only got half of a piece of each. There is still 1 can of pumpkin left, so I am thinking another pumpkin dessert is called for sometime soon.

Click below to expand for the recipe!