Celebration Cream Cheesecake

HEALTHY LIVING RECIPE CONTEST WINNER! - DESSERTS
By: Valerie Putsey, IN

Ingredients:

Crust
1 ¼ cups organic chocolate cookie crumbs
4 ½ tbsp organic sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp organic butter, melted

Filling
½ cup organic heavy whipping cream
1 package (12 oz.) white chocolate morsels or chunks
2/3 cup water
¼ oz. unflavored gelatin
2 (8 oz.) packages organic cream cheese, softened
1/8 tsp Watkins Lemon Extract
1 tsp Watkins Pure Vanilla
1 (14 oz.) can non-fat organic sweetened condensed milk

Garnish
1/3 – ½ cup organic pecan halves
¼ cup organic chopped pecans
1 (5.3 oz.) package chocolate coated candies
2-3 tsp Watkins Organic Cinnamon


Directions:
Crust – lightly coat 10x14 or 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix chocolate cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press mixture firmly on bottom of baking dish, set aside.

Filling – In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream on medium for 1 minute: refrigerate. In a medium bowl, microwave 1/3 package of white chocolate morsels until melted, stirring after each 30 seconds. Set aside. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small saucepan, let stand for 1 minute. Heat water on low, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed, add melted morsels. Continue mixing adding lemon extract, vanilla extract and condensed milk until well blended. Stir in gelatin and fold in whipping cream. Pour over chocolate crust and refrigerate 2-3 hours until set, or overnight.

To serve, garnish with pecan halves around outer edge of cake. Sprinkle with candies, chopped pecans and cinnamon.

Hint – options are limitless with garnish and candies. Use different colored candies for different occasions. And try different Watkins Extracts for other flavor combinations.

Swirled Pumpkin & Caramel Cheesecake

1-1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, softened
24 large marshmallows
1/2 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Watkins ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Watkins ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon Watkins ground cloves
salt to taste
1 teaspoon Watkins vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 caramels
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Prepare the crust by combining the cookie crumbs and margarine. Press into a 9-inch pie plate and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes.

Prepare the filling in a microwave safe bowl by combining the marshmallows, milk and pumpkin. Cook on medium heat and stir until all marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.

Beat in cream cheese, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and vanilla; fold in 1/2 container whipped topping.

Melt caramel in microwave and drizzle 2 tablespoons over crust. Pour filling into crust and top with remaining whipped topping, pecans and any remaining cookie crumbs. Drizzle remaining caramel over top. Refridgerate for 8 hours or until chilled.

Makes 8 servings

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract
3 eggs
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons Watkins Pumpkin Pie Spice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine crumbs and butter. Press firmly on bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake for 5 minutes; remove from oven, cool. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees F.

In large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Reserve 1 cup batter. Add remaining sugar, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice to remaining batter; mix well.

Alternately layer pumpkin and cream cheese batters over crust. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until cheesecake springs back slightly when touched. Loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool to room temperature then chill.

Makes 12 servings.

No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake

Crust:
1-1/2 cups/375 mL pretzels, finely crushed
3 tbsp/45 mL sugar
1/3 cup/80 mL melted butter

Filling:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup/60 mL cold water
3 packages (8 oz/227 g each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup/250 mL sugar
1 cup/250 mL sour cream
2 tsp/10 mL Watkins Lemon Extract
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Original Double-Strength Vanilla

Coat a 9-inch/23-cm springform pan with Watkins
Cooking Spray. Crush enough pretzels to make
1-1/2 cups/ 375 mL of fine crumbs. Combine crumbs
with sugar and melted butter.Press evenly into bottom
of pan and bake crust for 12 minutes at 350°F/180°C.
Set aside to cool. Sprinkle gelatin over water in small
saucepan; let stand 1 minute. Place over low heat and
stir until granules are completely dissolved and mixture is
clear. Remove from heat.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with
an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in sour cream.
At low speed, beat in dissolved gelatin mixture and
extracts. Pour into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate
at least 4 hours or until firm. Loosen cheesecake
from pan and cut into slices. Garnish with lemon
slices, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Variation: Also works in a 9" x 13"/23 x 33 cm
baking pan served in squares.