Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

The holidays are upon us and it time to go buck wild with the pumpkin! Only fifteen days left till thanksgiving and it’s time to get those dessert recipes ready. Who doesn’t like cheesecake?!Especially when the whole family can eat it. Dietary restrictions? No worries! Dairy free, Egg free, Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake to the rescue and no one will know the difference!

Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:
10 Ginger Cookies
3 Tb. Coconut Oil

Cheesecake:
1/2 c. Pumpkin Puree
8 oz. GoVeggie Cream Cheese
1/4 tsp. Ginger Powder
1/4 tsp. Cloves
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 tb. Confectioner’s Sugar
2 tb. Flour
2 tb. Butter Alternative (I used Earth Balance)

Makes a 6 in. cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Begin by crushing ten ginger cookies in a small ziplock bag. You can use a rolling pin, mallet, your hands, whatever strikes your fancy. In a small bowl, mix together the coconut oil and crumbs.

Line a 6 in. spring pan with parchment paper and oil it with coconut oil. Place the crust crumbs in the spring pan and push down until the bottom is completely covered. Bake the crust for ten minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool.

In a small frying pan, melt two tablespoons of “butter”. Slowly whisk in two tablespoons of flour, continuously stir until the mixture thickens off. Take the pan off the heat and set aside.

Create the cheesecake filling by placing the “cream cheese” , pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla, and spices in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture and whip the ingredients on high until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Scoop the cheesecake mixture into the spring pan and evenly spread it around. Bake the cheesecake for twenty minutes. Once the twenty minutes is up turn off the oven, open the oven door slightly and allow the cheesecake cool in the oven for another twenty minutes.

Then, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Place it in the refrigerator for at least four house and get ready to enjoy!

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Pumpkin Apple Dog Cookies

We are finally escaping the DOG DAYS OF WINTER! So, let’s treat our dogs in celebration! These dog cookies are great for Pups-giving, a Dog-mitzvah , or just a treat at the end of a long day of digging and fetching. My dog, Orbit, says, “Never have pumpkin and apple ever tasted so good!.” He gives them two paws up!

Ingredients:

2 c. Whole wheat flour
2 Eggs
1/2 c. Pure pumpkin
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 Diced apple

Makes 20 3in x 1 1/2in cookies

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the eggs and pumpkin together. Next, add the flour and salt and mix until the dough begins to form (the dough might be slightly dry, the apples will fix that). Last but not least, add the diced apples.
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Turn out the dough on to a floured surface and knead a few times. Before rolling out the dough, dust the surface one more time. Roll out the dough to a 1/4 of an inch. Using cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
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Bake cookies for 20 minutes. Flip over and bake another 20 minutes. Let the cookies completely cool before letting your furry friends enjoy them.
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