Chocolaty Brickle Bites

Brickle is an amusing word.  It's origins are in the 13th century from the word brekyl, meaning crisp, brittle, crumbly, or flaky.  Modern day brickle brings to mind the crunchy toffee flavored candy we know as the Heath Bar. This quick little recipe comes from a 1994 cookie book lovingly stained with my greasy fingers. These delightful little bites are made with six simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. (Five ingredients if you don't like nuts). Once hooked on whipping up these tasty treats, it's fun to be innovative. If you have 30 minutes, you've got a winning chocolaty, toffee flavored treat.

Chocolaty Brickle Bites

Ingredients

• 35  (2-inch square) soda crackers (my favorite is Zesta)
• 1/2  cup unsalted butter
• 1/2  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2  teaspoons shortening
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, pecans or almonds - optional

Directions

1. 1Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges. Spray with cooking spray or generously grease foil. Arrange crackers, with sides touching, over bottom of foil-lined pan.
2. 2In small saucepan, combine margarine and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour evenly over crackers; spread quickly to cover. I use an offset spatula to spread the toffee evenly.
3. 3Bake at 350°F. for 6 to 8 minutes or until bubbly; cool completely.
4. 4In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening, stirring constantly. Drizzle over cooled crackers or spread the chocolate with offset spatula. If desired, sprinkle nuts over chocolate. Let stand until set. Break into pieces between crackers.
5. For an innovative taste you can substitute graham crackers.  I love Honey Maid chocolate grahams.  You will use fewer crackers because they are larger, and the toffee won't 'soak' into the cracker as much as it does on the saltines, but who cares? Yum. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

As a fan of pumpkin and cheesecake, this is my favorite recipe.  Hint: It is as close as you can get to that famous cheesecake place.  This recipe is on the menu for Thanksgiving by special request of my dinner guests.  Cheesecake is always better baked 24 hours ahead, and will free up your oven for your big dinner.  However...you will need more refrigerator space :-)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham crumbs

5 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:

3- 8oz.pkgs. Cream cheese, softened

1-cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1-cup canned pumpkin

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. Cloves or allspice

Whipped Cream (1 pint whipping cream sweetened with 1 T powdered sugar & 1 tsp vanilla)

Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8" spring form pan. Bake for 5 min. at 350 degrees set aside.

Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until smooth with an electric mixer. Add pumpkin eggs, and spices, beat till smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 min. or till the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven. Allow cheesecake to reach room temperature, and then refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and transfer to serving platter. Decorate with whipped cream.  Hint: Add a teaspoon of instant vanilla pudding to stabilize the whipped cream if you are not serving immediately.

Pumpkin Muffins

     Unless you have been living under a rock, you've noticed pumpkin-related dishes and beverages are the latest food trend. Yes, pumpkin...a super food packed with 280% of our daily Vitamin A requirement. Who knew? What a wonderful stroke of luck for Libby's! Pumpkin...it's not just for Thanksgiving pie. In fact, Felix Salmon, a leading financial journalist writing in New York magazine says "pumpkin is the new bacon." So what's next--a massive pumpkin shortage? Note to self...begin hoarding cans of pumpkin...
      My quest this month is achieving delicious pumpkin flavor paired with a balanced ratio of fall spices. Last week it was doughnuts. Healthy, but not enough spice to balance the pumpkin. This week my quest was the ubiquitous muffin. While mixing a fresh batch of pumpkin pie spice mix this morning, I realized what was missing from the pumpkin doughnut recipe--cloves! Mortar and pestle to the rescue. Nothing says 'aroma' quite like the smell of freshly ground cloves. Viola! Spice balance achieved!
      If you enjoy soft, moist muffins redolent with the fragrance of fall spices, this is the recipe you've been waiting for. Pure pumpkin comfort food with 10 minutes of preparation time. Parting thought: Never underestimate the value of freshly ground spices. I promise, your taste buds will thank you!

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice 
(yield approximately one heaping tablespoon)

Pumpkin Muffins

2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons homemade pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup 100% pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.  Paper-line or spray 12 muffin cups

COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
COMBINE Sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in a mixer bowl and beat with wire whisk until blended.
Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir with wooden spoon until moist--be gentle, don't over-mix.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.

BAKE 25-30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on wire rack about 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and place on wire rack to cool completely--if you can wait that long. Frost with cream cheese icing if desired. Store in covered container.