Holiday Dessert Idea

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Serves 8

Preheat oven 350^o

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: About 1 hour

Retreater time: 3 hours or overnight

Estimated values per serving:

Calories = 300                      Fat = 8 grams                        Points: 6

Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons low calorie butter spread – melted

1 8-ounce package fat free cream cheese – softened

1 8-ounce package low fat cream cheese – softened

¼ cup fat free sour cream

1 cup sugar

1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree

¾ cup egg substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

1. Prepare baking dish: Line the sides of an 8-inch-square baking dish with foil so that the sides hangs over.  Spray the foil with cooking spray.
2. Make crust: Stir graham cracker crumbs into butter spread and press on the bottom of the baking pan.  Bake crust for 12 minutes and remove from oven.
3. Prepare filling: Place cream cheese, sour cream and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat mixture on medium speed for about 5 minutes until smooth.
4. Beat in pumpkin and then slowly add egg substitute and vanilla while mixer is on medium speed.
5. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.  Once all the flour and spices are in, beat on medium until well combined.
6. Pour mixture into baking dish.
7. Place baking dish in a larger baking pan and pour hot water in the pan.
8. Bake cheesecake for 45 minutes until it is set around the edges.
9. Shut off oven heat but leave cheesecake in the oven with the door slightly open for 30 minutes.

10. Remove cheesecake from the large baking pan and cool on a rack.  Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

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Delicious Dessert for a crowd…

Chocolate Ginness Cheesecake Cupcakes

Tomorrow night I am going to a friend’s birthday party.  I am not sure how many people will be attending but I do know that this is sure to be a fun beer guzzling crew having a rockin’ good time.  So I thought this dessert would go well with the beer and atmosphere.

Enjoy your dessert.

Chocolate Guinness Cheesecake Cupcakes

Servings 36 cupcakes

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 30 minutes

Refrigeration time: overnight

Estimated Values per cupcake:

Calories = 200                                              Fat =  6 grams

Preheat oven 325^o

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed pretzels

3 tablespoons + 1 ¼ cups sugar

¼ cup low calorie butter spread, melted

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

¾ cup Guinness draft beer, left open to become flat

2 packages (8 ounces each) low fat cream cheese, softened

2 packages (8 ounces each) fat free cream cheese, softened

1 cup egg substitute

2 eggs

½ cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Position 2 oven racks in center and lower third of oven.  Place a roasting pan on the lower rack and fill halfway with water.  Fill 3 12-cup muffin pans with paper cupcake liners and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine pretzel crumbs and 3 tablespoons sugar then stir in butter spread.  Press crumb mixture on bottom of 36 cupcake cups.
3. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high in 15 second intervals until melted.  Stir in Guinness and let stand.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheeses and 1 ¼ cup sugar on high speed until fluffy, for about 3 – 4 minutes.  Beat in egg substitute slowly then eggs, one at a time.  Stir in Guinness mixture, cocoa, flour and vanilla into batter until blended.  Separate evenly among cupcake cups.
5. Bake cheesecake cupcakes on the on center rack for 30 minutes the batter no longer giggles and is slightly cracked on top.  Turn off oven and let stand in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let rest for 1 hour.
7. Refrigerate for 1additional hour.

Chocolate Guinness Ganache

Ingredients:

1 cup Guinness draft, left open to become flat

18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, heat Guinness until it comes to a boil.
2. When the beer has come to a boil, pour oven chocolate and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour ganache over cheesecake cupcakes and refrigerate overnight.