Pumpkin spice muffins

• So we needed muffins for supper.  I decided to make pumpkin muffins.  (We have lots of pumpkin, and it doesn't have to be Thanksgiving for pumpkin!)
• Lillian helped me out with this recipe.  =D  The other kiddos were watching Little House on the Prairie.  
• I changed a few things from the original recipe....lol
• It really called for 1/2 water, but why add water to a recipe? And I happened to have a very ripe banana..why waste it? Ok so it made the muffins taste a little like banana. And they I think they would have been good with a little more oil.  But you can do whatever you want ;)
• 
  
• Pumpkin Spice Muffins
• 
  
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1-15 oz can pumpkin
• 1 ripe banana 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (If you don't have it, just use a little extra of the other spices)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease  muffin pan or use paper liners.
• Mix sugar, oil, eggs, banana and pumpkin. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add wet mixture and stir in coconut.  (Walnuts, pecans, and chocolate chips are also good in these muffins. I added walnuts to just a few of mine)
• Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Mocha Cheesecake with raspberry sauce and ganache

Its been a long, long time since I posted.  Which is sad, and hopefully not happening again soon.  I plan to post more, but of course, that will also require me to cook or bake more, and take pictures of my cooking and baking.
Today I am posting a recipe I actually made back in October.  (No delicious cheesecake for me today; my sister and I were on a 'no sugar' week and the next few weeks are still supposed to be 'low sugar' Gotta cut back after Christmas junk food!)
But cheesecake is really good...and for this cheesecake I decided to have some fun and make some raspberry jam-ish topping, and some chocolate with cream (ganache) topping; it was yummy.
My original inspiration for this recipe was a cheesecake my friend entered in the fair.  Cranberry Mocha Cheesecake  Now here's a problem.  I made this so long ago, I cannot remember exactly how I did it...but I shall do my best!

Mocha Cheesecake

• CRUST:
• 18 oreo cookies, crushed finely
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• FILLING:
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• RASPBERRY TOPPING:
• 1 cup frozen red raspberries
• cornstarch
• cold water
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Directions

Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom and about 2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Combine sugar and flour; add to cream cheese and mix well. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve coffee in water; add cream and vanilla. Stir into the cream cheese mixture just until blended. Pour over crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

In a small saucepan heat raspberries until bubbly.  Combine a spoonful of cornstarch with a little cold water. Add to raspberries and simmer to thicken.  (Just like gravy except with raspberries.  I meant for mine to sort of be sauce but it turned into a jam; it was still good!)

Ganache.  Ok I really can't replicate the way I made mine.  Because I think what happened was sort of like this...I had some chocolate in a pan already so I melted it.  Added some cream, and some more chocolate and some more cream until it tasted good and had the consistency I wanted. I don't think I used butter, and I know I didn't use any alcohol, but I thats not helping me.  So here's a recipe for ganache without either of those ingredients and looks pretty good.  Ganache  Now I skipped all the refrigerating stuff and just added cream till it was just the right thickness....but whatever works works.  :D

I put the jam and the chocolate on each piece after slicing it.  Looks pretty that way, and saved some of my poor siblings from having 'oh no!' jam on their cheesecake!  

Yummmm I think I'll make cheesecake for Valentines day because I got a heart-shaped spring-form pan a little while ago...but I'm gonna make chocolate cheesecake cuz thats still my fav!  But for now...less is more.  So not a lot of sugar for me!

Ciao my friends!