Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake by Tiffani Dustin

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1 prepared graham cracker pie crust (9inch)
2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
whipped topping

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
3. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

Pumpkin Custard - Vegan & Sugar Free

Dessert is always a challenge for me on Thanksgiving. Most of the time I just sit around watching other people eat theirs. I was determined this year to add a little enjoyment to the day by making a homemade custard using pumpkin. This was an adventure since normal recipes call for not only eggs but milk and sugar as well. This is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
15 oz. pumpkin puree
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup almond milk
1/4 applesauce
1 Tbs honey
Egg replacer for 2 eggs (4 Tbs water + 4 Tbs cornstarch)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined.
Pour into greased ramekins until ramekin is a little more than half full.
Place ramekins in a cake pan. Fill cake pan with water until water is half way up the outside of the ramekin. Be careful not to water in the inside of the ramekins.
Bake for 1 hour.
Remove from cake pan and cool.

Savory Pumpkin Soup (vegan)

Every recipe for pumpkin soup I found was full of animal products. Luckily, being a vegan is all about replacement, replacement, replacement in order to obtain the same great taste but maintaining your standards.

• Prep/Total Time: 20 min.
• Yield: 6 Servings

10 20

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter (earth balance)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 16 oz. vegetable broth (1/2 box of Pacific organic brand)
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar or pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup frozen corn

In a large saucepan, melt better. Add chopped onion and sauté for 2 minutes on medium-high heat. Add carrots and celery. Sauté  until onions are beginning to brown. Stir in flour until vegetables are coated. Add broth and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add spices, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes on medium heat.

Add milk and frozen corn. Cook until corn is warmed. Serve or store until later.

Top with Tofutti Sour cream, pistachios, and chives (optional).