The following recipes are family favorites and I hope they will become favorites of your family, too.

The Pumpkin Cheesecake is a spin on the more traditional pumpkin pie. It’s beautiful and delicious and if you bring this to someone’s holiday gathering you’ll definitely be invited back! The Cranberry Pecan Pie (from a Michigan friend) is another variation on a traditional holiday favorite. The tartness of the berries and the zest of the orange make it less sweet than a traditional pecan pie. Finally, the cranberry chocolate torte is a nearly flourless chocolate cake (only ¼ c. in the recipe) and it is dense and decadent. The shiny glaze garnished with frosted cranberries (and maybe a sprig of holly) make it a showstopper and your chocoholic friends will beg for the recipe. 
Barbara Voris Eastman, Editor

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 325º

Crust:
1 ½ c. gingersnap cookie crumbs
4 T. butter
3 T. sugar
¼ t. cinnamon

Melt butter and add other ingredients. Stir to combine and pour mixture into bottom of a 9” spring form pan, pressing crumbs partially up the sides. Place on cookie sheet and bake 7 minutes and then cool.

Filling:
3 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese, room temp
1 c. sugar
4 eggs
½ t. ginger
1/4 t. ground cloves
¾ t. salt
3 T. flour
1 t. vanilla
1 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 c. whipping cream

Mix together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add pumpkin and continue mixing, then add the whipping cream a little at a time. Add spices and other ingredients and mix ‘til well blended and uniform in color. Pour into cooled crust. Return to oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and increase temperature to 450º.

Topping:
1 ½ c. sour cream
2 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla

Mix above ingredients and pour over cheesecake, spreading to the edges with an offset spatula.

Return to oven for 7 minutes. Cook completely at room temperature and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, garnish with pecan halves.

Cranberry Orange Pecan Pie

1 c. chopped fresh cranberries
1 - 9" pie crust (make your own or use ready-made)
1 c. pecan halves
1 c. dark Karo syrup
3 eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
grated rind of a medium orange
2/3 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 350º

Combine cranberries with orange rind in a small bowl and mix well.

Pour into the prepared pie shell. Sprinkle pecan halves over the cranberries and press down slightly. Combine melted butter, eggs, sugar, and Karo syrup in bowl and mix well. Pour evenly over the pecans and berries in the pie shell. Place pie on cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour or until set. Serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

Chocolate Cranberry Torte

Preheat oven to 350º

1 16oz. can whole cranberry sauce
½ c. blanched almonds, ground to a powdery consistency
¼ c. flour
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ c. unsalted butter (1 stick)
3 eggs, separated
½ c. sugar
¼ t. almond extract
pinch of salt

Open cranberry sauce and pour into a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to loosen up the gel that holds the berries together and set aside. Melt butter and chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler on low heat. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and light in color. Add flour and ground almonds and mix to combine, then add melted butter and chocolate. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt ‘til stiff peaks form and then gently fold the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture. Stir in “loosened” cranberry sauce and almond extract. Pour into a 9” spring form pan and bake 55 minutes to an hour. Cool completely. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a cake place.

Glaze:
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ c. whipping cream
1 – 1 ½ t. water

In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Add the whipping cream and stir to combine. Add a little water and mix thoroughly, then pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Garnish with whole frosted cranberries. Method: Beat one egg white and place whole cranberry in egg wash to coat. Then roll the cranberry in superfine sugar. Place on a plate or sheet of parchment paper to dry. When completely dry, place the sugared cranberries on the cake to garnish.