Prep: 20 mins | Bake: 20 mins | Servings: 12

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large gg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree, blotted dry (see notes)

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup butterscotch chips

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ square pan with foil or parchment paper and grease it. Begin by preparing the pumpkin puree (see notes).
2. In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fully combined, about one full minute. Whisk in egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Stir in the chips (I reserve a few to press into the top).
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Press some additional chips on top, if desired. Bake for about 23-28 minutes, until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without raw batter on it, moist crumbs are okay. Place on a rack to cool completely.

Notes:

• Pumpkin Puree: In order to get the proper consistency, and to prevent the bars from being too wet, it is important to remove some of the moisture from the pumpkin puree. Place a double layer of paper towels on a plate. Spread the pumpkin puree on the towel. Place a double layer of paper towel on top of the pumpkin and lightly press down, allowing the paper towels to soak up excess moisture. Repeat this step one more time with fresh, dry paper towels. Allow the pumpkin to sit on the towels until you need it.
• Feel fere to swap the butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips for regular chocolate chips and/ or nuts.

Prep: 15 min | Bake: 50 min | + Cooling Makes: 12 Servings

Ingredients:

S2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar, divided

3/4 cup cold butter, cubed

tsp. baking powder

tsp. baking soda

tsp. salt

1 cup (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 cup cherry preserves

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix flour and 3/4 cup sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup crumb misture for topping. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to remaining crumb mixture. Stir in sour cream, 1 egg and extract until blended.
2. Spread onto bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and the remaining sugar until smooth. Add the remaining egg; beat on low speed just until. blended. Pour into pan; spoon preserves over top. Sprinkle with th ereserved crumb mixture and almonds.
3. Bake 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove rim from pan. Serve warm or cold.

Total: 10 mins | Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

5 medium oranges or 10 clementines

1/2 cup pomegranate arills

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp orange flower water or orange juice

Instructions:

1. Cut a thin slice from the top and bottom of each orange; stand orange upright on cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut off peel and outer membrane from oranges. Cut crosswise into 1/2″ slices.
2. Arrange orange slices on a serving platter; sprinkle with pomegranate arills. In a bowl, mix honey and orange flower water; drizzle over fruit.

Prep: 10 mins | Bake: 55 mins + chilling | Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup eggnog

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp gorund cinnamon

dash salt

2 1/2 cups flaked coconut, divided

1 extra-servings graham cracker crust (9 oz.) *

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, baet the first seven ingredients until blended; stir in coconut. Pour into crust; sprinkle with nuts and remaining coconut. Bake on a lower oven rack 10 mins.
2. Reduce oven setting to 325°F. Cover top loosely with foil. Bake 45-50 minutes longer or until filling has set. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

To prepare a homemade Graham Cracker crust:

Mix 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar; stir in 1/3 cup melted butter. Press onto bottom and up sides of a greased 9″ pie plate. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Prep: 30 mins | Bake: 45 mins + chilling | Makes: 16 servings

Ingredients:

8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake layer:

2 pkg. (8oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup 2% milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9″-square baking pan with foil, letting ends extend uip and over sides; grease foil.
2. Reserve 1.4 cup crumbled bacon for top. In a bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, salt and bakings soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and remaining bacon. Press half of the dough onto bottom of the pan.
3. In a bowl, beatm cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and milk, beat on low speed just until blended. Pour over dough; drop remaining dough by tablespoonfuls over cheesecake layer. Sprinkle with reserved bacon.
4. Bake 45-50 mins or until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before cutting. Lifting with foil, remove from pan. Cut into bars.

Prep: 25 mins | Bake: 25 mins + cooling | Makes: 4 dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

Filling:

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

2/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 9×13″ pans with foil, letting ends extend up and over sides of pan.
2. Place flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch and salt in a food processor; pulse until blended. Add butter; pulse until butter is the size of peas. Divide mixture between prepared pans; press onto bottom of pans/ Bake 10-12 mins oor until light brown. Cool on a wire rack.
3. For filling, melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips, cream and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pecans. Spread over crusts.
4. Bake 12-15 mins or until filling is bubbly. Cool completely in pans on wire racks. Using foil, lift bars out of pans. Cut into bars. Stor in an airtight container.

Prep: 35 mins | Bake: 25 mins + cooling | Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

4 large eggs, separated

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup rum

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Let egg whites stand at room temperature 30 mins. In a saucepan, combine confectioners’ sugar, juice and 1/4 cup butter, cook and stir over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in rum. Reserve 3/4 cup.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour a 10″ tube pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
3. In a bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
4. In a bowl, beat egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add 1/4 cup brown sugar and vanilla, beating until thick. Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into batter. Alternately fold in flour mixture and remaining whites. Fold in melted butter.
5. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake on lowest oven rack 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Immediately poke holes in cake with fork; slowly pour sauce over cake, allowing sauce to absorb into cake. COol in pan on a wire rack. Invert onto a serving plate. Serve with reserved sauce.

Prep: 30 mins + chilling | Bake: 10 mins / batch | Makes: 16 servings (1/4 cup cream with 3 dunkers each)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. spiced cake mix (regular size)

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

2 large eggs

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup golden raisins

Eggnog Cream

1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 jars (7 oz. each) marshmallow creme

1 tsp rum extract

3/4 tsp ground nutmed

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Additional nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, oil and eggs until well blended. Stir in pecans and raisins.
2. Divide dough in half. On baking sheets, roll each portion between two sheets of parchment paper into a 12×8″ rectangle. Refrigerate 30 mins. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, marshmallow creme, extract, nutmeg and cinnamon until smooth; fold in whipped cream topping. Refrigerate, covered, until serving.
3. Remove top sheet of parchment paper from dough. Cut each dough rectangle in half lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1″ strips. Transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets. (Refrigerate any remaining strips until ready to bake.) Bake 8-10 mins or until edges are golden brown. Cool on pans 4 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.
4. Sprinkle eggnog cream with nutmeg; serve with dunkers.

Prep: 35 mins | Bake: 35 mins + cooling | Makes: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

3 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp vanilla extract

Crust:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups quick oats

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup flaked coconut

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In top of double boiler or a metal bowl over simmering water, whisk the first five ingredients until blended, stir in cranberries. Cook and stir 15-20 mins until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, oats, salt and baking soda; gradually beat in creamed mixture. Stir in coconut. Reserve half of the dough for topping. Press remaining onto bottom of greased 13×9″ baking dish. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.
3. Spread sour cream mixture over crust; crumble reserved dough over top. Bake 25-30 minutes or until filling is set and top is golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Prep: 45 mins | Bake: 45 mins + cooling | Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 medium apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Pastry for double crust (9″) (recipe in Notes)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, water and honey. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until berries pop, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, combine pineapple, cornstarch and cinnamon, stir in cranberry mixture and apple. On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of pastry dough to an 1/8″-thick circle, transfer to a 9″ pie plate. Trim pastry even with outside edge of pie plate. Add filling.
3. Roll remaining dough to an 1/8″-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top.
4. Bake 45-55 mins or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover pie lossly with foil during the last 30 mins if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes:

To make your own pastry:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cold butter

1/3-2/3 cup ice water

Instructions:

1. Combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough in half. Shap each into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one hour or overnight.