by Lynn Cahoon
“So, dinner at the Lodge? Are you in?” Mia asked as they made their way up the stairs to the apartment. And to the next chapter of their lives.
Two Wicked Desserts
Dear Readers,
Cheesecake wasn’t made or served at my house until I left for my own place. Then my mom tried a few at Easter. I’m pretty sure they used some sort of Jell-O. I didn’t make my first cheesecake until a few years ago. In fact, I’d told several people I didn’t like cheesecake. I think I was crazy or thinking of something else at the time.
If I’d known they were this easy, I would have tried making one earlier. Anyway, once I made my first cheesecake, I was hooked.
The chocolate version below was on my Christmas menu for a lot of years. It’s very chocolaty, so make sure you serve it with lots of whipped cream.
The pumpkin version was my Thanksgiving recipe. I love both.
Enjoy.
Lynn
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream the following
2 pkgs. cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Then mix in
3 eggs
Beat after each addition.
Add
1 cup pumpkin
¾ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Pour mixture into a graham cracker crust (premade)
Bake for 55 minutes.
Cool and chill. Serve with whipped cream.
Dark Chocolate Christmas Cheesecake
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tbsp. melted butter
NOTE: You can replace the above items with a premade graham cracker crust.
Mix butter into the cookie crumbs, then push into a greased pan (springform or pie plate).
2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature or
softened
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
1 14-oz. can of chocolate sweetened condensed milk
Gradually beat in the sweetened condensed milk.
3 eggs
3 tbsps. Cornstarch
1 tsp. peppermint extract (or almond if you want a
different flavor)
Add the eggs, cornstarch, and extract, beating until well mixed.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake 55 minutes or until center is set.
Cool and chill. Decorate the edge of the cheesecake with crushed peppermint candies (if you used the mint extract, slivered almonds if not). Serve with whipped cream.
Can’t get enough of Mia’s spooky adventures?
Be sure to read
ONE POISON PIE
and the novellas
CHILI CAULDRON CURSE
and
MURDER 101
Available now from
Lynn Cahoon
and
Kensington Books