Enrichment Recipes

Pumpkin Squares

4 eggs 1 heaping tsp. baking soda
2 heaping tsp. baking powder 1 large can pumpkin
1 2/3 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon (I like to use a little more)
1 tsp. Salt 2 cups flour
1 cup canola oil (can substitute 1 tsp. ginger
½ cup applesauce for ½ of the oil)

Mix eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and baking soda. Blend well. Bake in an ungreased Costco-size cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes at 350. When it is cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe below.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix well and spread on cake. I like to make extra frosting because I like a lot on my cake.




Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 ½ cups low-fat graham cracker crumbs
2 Tb. sugar
2 Tb. Light stick butter, melted
1 Tb. Water
2 (8 oz.) packages fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz.) package light cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
1 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and water in a small bowl, stirring until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Firmly press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and 2 inches up the sides. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Mix the fat-free cream cheese, light cream cheese, and yogurt until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until just blended. Pour the filling onto the crust. Bake until the center of the cake is lightly set, 55-60 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven 1 hour. (Do not open the oven door) Cool completely in the pan on a rack, about 30 minutes; refrigerate at least 3 hours before unmolding and slicing.

For a crunchy cheesecake topping, when preparing the crust, make an extra ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs. Spray a small nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cook then sprinkle on top of the cheesecake just before serving.


Mini Pumpkin Tarts

15 pack of mini phylo shells (I used Athens brand)
2/3 cup of Pumpkin from the can
1 cup Frozen whipped cream (or whip your own cream).
1/3 of a box (a little over 1 oz) French vanilla pudding mix.
Pumpkin pie spice.
Mint for garnish

Take the mini phylo shells out of the freezer 15 minutes before you put pumpkin in them. Add 2/3 cup Pumpkin and 2/3 cup whipped cream together and whisk until smooth. Add 1 oz pudding mix to pumpkin and whisk together until smooth.
Put about a teaspoon in each phylo shell, you can also put the pumpkin in a plastic bag and cut a little bit off the corner and squeeze the contents out into the shells. Add a little of whipped cream on top (I did the whipped cream by putting some in a plastic bag with the corner cut off, this way you are able to put a tiny dollop) Sprinkle a little pumpkin pie spice on top and stick a small mint leaf on top next to the whipped cream (optional).
WARNING: The mint looks wonderful but some mint may be a bit overpowering for this appetizer.