Island Harvest Ambrosia

1/4 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raw pecans
1 small six to eight inch pumpkin
1 medium fresh beet
1 large carrot
1 small coconut
1 cup fresh pineapple
1/4 cup diced figs
1 fresh lime
nuts for garnish

Put cashews, pumpkin seeds, and pecans in a bowl and pour in fresh water, enough to cover, then soak overnight for best results. Then when ready to make this, drain water and rinse, and drain again well.
Bore a hole in the coconut and drain water from coconut. Crack coconut open and carefully remove flesh, peeling away any brown layer.
Prepare pumpkin: Cut enough top off the pumpkin to form a bowl form; reserve top. Scoop out the pulp. Remove the stem from the top, peel it, then cut into several pieces.
Peel and core pineapple. Dice fresh pineapple into 1/2 inch pieces. Reserve pineapple juice from this process.
Trim tops from beet and carrot and peel each vegetable.
Shred 1/2 cup of each of these ingredients separately, using a food processor: pumpkin pieces, fresh raw coconut, carrot, and beet.
Assemble shredded pumpkin, coconut, and carrot in a large bowl. Leave the beet out of the mix right now; just put it in a separate bowl and set aside for last to prevent coloring other ingredients.
Add pre-soaked cashews, pumpkin seeds, and pecans to bowl, then add diced pineapple with juice, and figs.
Add beets and toss all ingredients. Squeeze juice from lime and toss again.
Spoon mixed ingredients into prepared pumpkin bowl and garnish with additional pecans, pumpkin seeds, and cashews if desired.
Yields six to eight servings.

Nutty Cream Cheese Carrot Cake

cake:
2 cups all-purpose Flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup regular table (granulated) sugar
3 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
3 medium size carrots, grated
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts

cream cheese frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 oz pkg cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

dressed up topping:
1/4 cup finely chopped Walnuts
2 Tbsp light brown sugar (packed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 inch round cake pan first with a light coating of grease then sprinkle in flour, coat evenly, then tap pan so excess flour falls out; set aside.
In a bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, put the butter and sugar and cream together at a medium speed until light and fluffy, then with mixer running, add one of the eggs, mixing until combined, then add another egg, mixing to combine, then add the final egg, mixing to combine.
Turn the mixer down to the low speed, then slowly start adding the dry ingredients in small batches, alternating in between each batch by adding some of the milk. Do this in about 3 steps – flour, milk, flour, milk, flour, milk, mixing until combined well.
Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts until combined well; then pour this batter into your prepared cake pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched with your finger or when a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean; remove and place cake pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Turn cake upside down to release it from the cake pan and continue to cool on the rack until completely cold.

Make cream cheese frosting: With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and cream cheese until very smooth. With mixer running, add vanilla extract and then confectioners sugar and continue beating until very smooth and fluffy.

Make dressed up topping: In a bowl, mix together walnuts and brown sugar with a whisk or fork.

To assemble; place cake on cake plate and spread frosting on top and up the sides, then sprinkle with the dressed up topping all over or just on the top.

Creamy Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

1 tsp vanilla extract
2 (8 oz ea) pkgs softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin, divided
1 tub frozen cranberry-orange sauce (10 oz), thawed and pureed
1 9-inch prepared graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat vanilla, cream cheese, and sugar with electric mixer in large bowl until smooth and well blended (medium speed).
Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add salt, spices, and continue beating until well blended.
Spread out approximately 3/4 cup pumpkin mixture evenly into crust.
Pour 1/3 cup cranberry sauce over the pumpkin mixture.
Top with remaining pumpkin mixture and cranberry sauce.
Take a knife and swirl the cranberry sauce into the pumpkin mixture without scraping the crust.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Refrigerate 2 hours or more before serving.
Serves 8.

« Previous Page — Next Page »