Blonde Brownies

2 cups packed brown sugar

2/3 cup butter or margarine

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped sweet baking chocolate (6 ounces)

2/3 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts or almonds




In a large saucepan heat brown sugar and butter or margarine, stirring constantly till sugar dissolves. Remove pan from heat. Cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla. Beat slightly by hand just till combined. Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda.


Spread batter in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate and hazelnuts or almonds.


Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 35 minutes. Cut into bars while still warm; cool bars completely in pan.

Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecake

For the Crust:

1 3/4 cups (about 14 to 16 cookies) crushed toffee shortbread cookies

4 teaspoons butter or margarine, melted


For the Cheesecake:

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 3/4 cups (15-ounce can) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin

2 large eggs

2/3 cup Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup (about 35 to 40 candies) chopped or crushed toffee candies, divided


For the Topping:

2 cups (16-ounce container) sour cream, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract




Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


FOR THE CRUST:
Combine cookie crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.


FOR THE CHEESECAKE:
Beat cream cheese and brown sugar in large mixing bowl at medium speed until creamy. Add pumpkin, eggs, evaporated milk, cornstarch and cinnamon; beat well. Stir in 1/3 cup toffee pieces. Pour into crust.


Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly. Remove from oven and top with 1/3 cup toffee pieces.


FOR THE TOPPING:
Combine sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract and remaining toffee pieces in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.

Cappuccino Cheesecake With Fudge Sauce

1 1/2 cups reduced-fat chocolate wafer crumbs (about 50 cookies)

3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

Cooking spray

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese

2 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

2 tablespoons instant espresso or 1/4 cup instant coffee granules

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups fat-free hot fudge topping, divided




Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; firmly press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack.


Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place 1 cup sugar, flour, and cheeses in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add espresso, vanilla, and cinnamon; beat well. Pour cheese mixture into prepared crust; spoon 4 mounds of fudge topping (2 tablespoons each) onto cheese mixture; swirl mixtures together using a knife. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (do not remove cheesecake from oven); bake an additional 1 hour or until almost set.


Remove cheesecake from oven, and cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Drizzle 1 tablespoon fudge topping onto each of 16 plates; top each with 1 cheesecake wedge.

Bread Pudding with Dried Cranberries, Vanilla, and Mint

1 cup dried cranberries (about 5 ounces)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

5 fresh mint sprigs

1 vanilla bean, split

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin

Six 2 1/2 inch rounds of challah bread

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam




Put the dried cranberries in a small bowl and cover with 1/2 cup of warm water. Set aside to plump for about 20 minutes.


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, lemon zest, orange zest and 4 mint sprigs. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk and add the bean to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat. Remove from the heat and stir for a few minutes to cool slightly. Whisk in the sugar and the gelatin and set aside for 3 minutes, then whisk again. Strain the mixture into a heatproof measuring cup.


Drain the cranberries and divide them among six 1/2 cup ramekins set on a baking sheet. Stir the milk mixture once and pour it over the cranberries, filling the ramekins. Top each with a challah round. Bake the puddings for 20 minutes, or until the custard is bubbling and still wobbly. Remove from the oven.


Preheat the broiler. Broil the puddings for about 30 seconds just to toast the bread rounds. Let the custards cool, then refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 but not more than 6 hours.


TO SERVE: Just before serving, melt the raspberry jam in a small nonreactive skillet over low heat. Run a knife around the inside of each ramekin to loosen the bread puddings and invert them onto dessert plates. Spoon a little of the raspberry jam over and around them. Garnish each plate with a few mint leaves from the remaining sprig and serve.