Oreo Cheesecake

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

2 packages (about 72 cookies) Oreo Cookies, divided
1/2 cup (1 cube) butter
4 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs

Notes / Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Finely crush 1 1/2 packages of Oreo cookies (or about 50 cookies). Melt 1/2 cup butter and mix with crumbs. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended and smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each just until blended. Chop remaining cookies and gently stir into mixture.  Pour over crust.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides are set and barely browning and the center is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack.  Once completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove the cheesecake using the foil overhang and cut the cheesecake into desired serving sizes.

~ Rachel

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Adapted from allrecipes.com 

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 

For the icing:

4 cups confectioners' sugar 

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (milk could also be used)
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Notes / Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients and set aside.  In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.  Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and cream again.  Stir in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.  Drop heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

In another bowl, whip icing ingredients until it becomes nice and smooth, adding small portions of whipping cream at a time to measure consistency.

There are a few options for icing and spreading.  For a

runnier icing, add more whipping cream and frost cookies

when they are completely cool.  For thicker, less. 

 For more of a frosting glaze, let the cookies cool completely

and use a thicker frosting.

For more of an icing effect, ice with thicker frosting

while cookies are still hot out of the oven.  Or use a more runny

frosting and ice when the cookies are cooled.

 

And here's my sweet little cookie thief:

Snickerdoodle Puppy Chow

Inspired by Your Cup of Cake

Ingredients
1 (12 oz) box rice chex
1 (12 oz) bag white morsels
1 cup yellow cake mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Notes / Directions
In a large ziploc bag, combine cake mix, sugar, and cinnamon.  Shake well and smash any clumps of cake mix.  Melt white morsels in microwave and pour over rice chex.  Carefully stir until well coated.  Pour chex into the ziploc bag and seal off.  Turn the bag upside down and shake the cake mix mixture down through the chex.  Keep turning bag until well coated.  Serve and enjoy!

 ~ Rachel

Grilled Cheese Genius