Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake

1 ½ cups graham crumbs
1 Tbsp sugar
¼ cup butter, melted
½ cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
2 – 8oz pkgs. Cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp VE vanilla
2 Tbsp finely diced VE Crystallized Ginger
1 cup pumpkin puree
¾ tsp VE Cinnamon
¼ tsp each of VE Ginger and VE Nutmeg
Or you could substitute with VE Pumpkin Pie Spice

Mix crumbs, Tbsp sugar, melted butter, and pecans; press into bottom of 9” springform pan. Bake @ 350F for 5 mins. Remove.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese with ½ cup of the sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beat in sour cream and vanilla. Remove 1 ½ cups of mixture and add the crystallized ginger to the batter you have removed. Set aside.

To remaining batter, blend in remaining sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Pour over baked crust. Using large spoon, add dollops of reserved light-colored batter; swirl together with knife.

Bake in 350F oven for 60 – 70 mins, or until puffed and no longer shiny in center. Allow to cool at room temperature. Chill for a few hours before serving.

Chinese Five-Spice Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp VE Vanilla
6 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp VE cinnamon
1 tbsp VE Chinese Five-Spice
1 tsp each baking soda & salt
3 cups dried cranberries or raisins

Line baking pan with parchment paper & set aside. In bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until light & fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time, & VE Vanilla. In separate bowl, mix together oats, flour, VE Chinese Five-Spice Powder, VE Cinnamon, baking soda & salt. Stir into butter mixture in 3 additions. Stir in cranberries. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared pan, 2 inches apart; flatten slightly. Bake in 350F oven for about 12 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Let cool on pan for about 2 minutes then remove to cooling rack to cool completely. Makes about 90 cookies. Recipe could easily be cut in half.