HALOWEEN TREATS

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I would give you a couple of different cookie recipes, which will tame all those ghosts and goblins out there.  Enjoy, and be safe!!

PUMPKIN SWIRL BROWNIES

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter lining.

Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top a with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don't set.

With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

Candy-Corn Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• About 36 candy corns

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour, and mix until a dough forms.

Scoop out level teaspoons of dough, and roll into balls (chill dough briefly if it becomes too soft to handle). Place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch (do not let cookies color), 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from oven; gently press a candy corn into center of each cookie (surface of cookies may crack slightly). Cool on sheets 1 minute; transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Variation: Reduce the amount of flour given in the recipe to 1/2 cup. Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder along with the flour in step 1, and proceed.

PUMPKIN SWIRL CHEESECAKE

CRUST

2 CUPS FINELY CRUSHED GINGER SNAPS COOKIES

½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED PECANS

6 TBSP MELTED BUTTER

FILLING

3 PACKAGES CREAM CHEESE, SOFTENED

1 CUP SUGAR, DIVIDED USE

1 TSP. VANILLA

3 LARGE EGGS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

1 CUP CANNED PUMPKIN

1 TSP GROUND CINNAMON

¼ TSP. GROUND NUTMEG

1/8 TSP GROUND CLOVES

PREHEAT OVEN TO 325 DEGREES AND POSITION THE OVEN RACK IN THE CENTER OF THE OVEN.

MIX GINGER SNAP CRUMBS, PECANS AND BUTTER; PRESS ONTO BOTTOM AND 2 INCHES UP SIDE OF 9-INCH PAN.

USING AN ELECTRIC MIXER ON MEDIUM SPEED, COMBINE CREAM CHEESE, ¾ CUP OF THE SUGAR, AND THE VANILLA UNTIL WELL BLENDED.  ON LOW SPEED, ADD EGGS ONE AT A TIME, MIXING EACH TIME JUST UNTIL BLENDED.  REMOVE 1 -1/2 CUPS OF THE PLAIN BATTER AND SET ASIDE

TO THE REMAINING PLAIN BATTER, ADD REMAINING ¼ CUP SUGAR, PUMPKIN, CINNAMON, NUTMEG, AND CLOVES.  USING A LARGE SPOON STIR TO COMBINE.

POUR ½ OF PUMPKIN BATTER OVER CRUST.  SPOON ½ OF PLAIN PATTER OVER PUMPKIN LAYER.  REPEAT UNTIL ALL THE BATTER IS USED.  USING A LONG BUTTER KNIFE, GENTLY SWIRL THROUGH ALL LAYERS OF CHEESECAKE BATTER WITHOUT DISTURBING CRUST TO ACHIEVE A MARBLED EFFECT.

BAKE FOR 55 MINUTES OR UNTIL CENTER IS ALMOST SET.  DO NOT OVER BAKE.  USE A THIN KNIFE AROUND THE EDGE OF THE PAN TO LOOSEN THE CRUST.  COOL COMPLETELY ON WIRE RACK.