Pumpkin Cheesecake

This recipe came from Lacey Berry. My son, Cory, made it for Thanksgiving.
4 8oz. packages of softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
6 oz sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs
1-2 cups pumpkin, depending on the taste and color you are looking for
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves, ginger, and nutmeg
any graham cracker crumbs or cookie crumbs mixed with butter for a crust and pressed into 8" spring form pan. We used vanilla wafers and chocolate sandwich cookies.

Cream cheese and sugar until very creamy and smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time and mix. Place half of the cheesecake batter in an 8" springform pan. Place a pan of water on the rack below while cooking. Bake for 90 minutes at 285°. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Mix the pumpkin and spices with the remaining cheesecake batter and pour over the top of the baked cheesecake and continue baking at 300° for 90 minutes or until done. Keep checking the water and refill as needed. Freezing the cheesecake when cooled will make it easier to cut. The water bath helps keep it from cracking.

Sun Oven Cooking

Last week I did a preparedness workshop and cooked food in my Sun Oven. I baked coconut bread, apple bread, banana bread and a pot roast dinner. Every thing turned out very moist and very delicious.

Coconut Bread

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 c. oil

2 t. coconut extract

Cream together and add the following, alternating with 1 c. buttermilk:

3 c. flour

1/2 t. soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

Add 1 c. angel flake coconut. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. The Sun Oven took 60-65 minutes.

Candied Popcorn

I made red, yellow, blue and green popcorn for the Library story time today. We were reading books about those four colors. This recipe is from my dear friend, Utahna Richins.

2 c. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1 T. white karo

2/3 c. milk

Cook to 230° or just under a soft ball stage. Add:

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. food coloring

Mix well and pour over 6 quarts of popped popcorn. Stir until well coated. Spread popcorn on waxed paper, separate and let dry.

Two and Two Brownies

2 cubes butter

2 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 c. oatmeal

2 c. flour

2 c. butterscotch chips (optional)

Cream brown sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs and beat. Add oatmeal, flour and butterscotch chips. Press into a large, greased cookie sheet with sides. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes.

Icing:

2 c. sugar

1/4 c. karo

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. butter

2 T. cocoa

1/4 t. salt

Boil together for 3 minutes. Add 1 t. vanilla and put pan in sink of cold water and beat icing until thick. Spread on brownies. When icing is set up, cut into bars 8 across and 8 down the side. Makes 64 bars.

Peach Chicken Sweet and Sour

This was the winning recipe of the 2011 Peach Cook-Off.

Peach Chicken Sweet & Sour—Marcia Cahoon

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup sliced carrots
1 onion, julienned
1 medium green pepper, julienned
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 cups cubed, fresh peaches

Saute chicken in olive oil until chicken is no longer pink, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Make sauce while chicken is cooking. Add carrots to chicken in the skillet with a little water. Cover skillet and cook on medium heat until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally and adding a little water as needed to keep from scorching. Add onion, green pepper and celery. Saute until onion wilts and peppers and celery are bright and crisp-tender. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables and simmer for a few minutes. Stir in peaches just before serving and serve immediately over rice.

Sauce
1 cup peach jam
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Heat in saucepan over medium heat just until brown sugar melts. Whip in blender to make smooth.

Peachy Cinnamon Rolls

This was a delicious entry in the Peach Cook-Off last year. It was entered by Jessica Grogan

Dough:

1 T. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water

1/2 c. sour cream

2 eggs

1/4 c. sugar

1 t. salt

1/4 c. butter

flour

Filling:

2 c. finely chopped peaches

1 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. butter, softened

1 T. ground cinnamon

1/3 c. butter, melted

Buttercream Topping:

1/4 c. butter, softened

2 c. powdered sugar

2-3 T. peach juice

3/4 T. vanilla extract

1 t. grated lemon peel

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a small saucepan, heat sour cream and butter to 110-115°. Add the sour cream mixture, sugar, salt, eggs and 1 1/2 c. flour to yeast mixture. Beat for 2 minutes. Stir enough of remaining flour in to form soft dough. Turn onto floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Placed in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled.

For filling, combine softened butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar; set aside.

Punch dough down when ready. turn onto lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each ball into a rectangle. Brush with 1 T. melted butter. Spread half of the filling on the dough. Sprinkle chopped peaches on top of filling. Roll up into a jelly roll, pinch seam to seal. Repeat with remaining dough. Brush with remaining butter. Slice each roll and place slices on greased pan. Let rise until dough doubles. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

For frosting, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar, lemon peel and vanilla. Add enough peach juice to achieve frosting consistency. Spread on rolls when completely cooled.

Peaches 'n Cream Cobbler

Marcia Cahoon entered this in the Peach Cook-Off last year and it was delicious.

5 c. sliced peaches

1 lb. powdered sugar

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 c. butter

1/2 t. cinnamon

Cream together powdered sugar and cream cheese. Place peaches in lightly greased 9" x 13" cake pan and spread cream cheese mixture over all. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top. Slice butter thinly and place pats evenly over the cake mix. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350° for approximately 35 minutes until peaches are tender. Serve warm.