Naomi is my young high school friend and she would like to share two of her favorite recipes

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

Crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 (15 ounce) can pureed pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

For Crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a

9 inch pan. Set aside.

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices.

Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Another favorite of mine is:

Tangy Pepper-Pecan Brie

1/2 cup pecan halves
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 4-inch round (8 ounces) Brie cheese with rind, room temperature
1 loaf (16 ounces) French baguette
Vegetable oil or Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely chop pecans and finely chop jalapeño. Combine jalapeño and preserves; mix well.

Cut Brie in half horizontally using a sharp knife. Place one half of Brie, cut side up, onto center of the Large Round Stone (from Pampered Chef, or you can use a cookie sheet). Spread half of the apricot mixture evenly over bottom half of Brie. Top with half of the pecans and remaining half of Brie, cut side up. Spread remaining apricot mixture over Brie; sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Use a bread knife, cut baguette on a bias into twenty-four 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange baguette slices around Brie; spray with oil using the Pampered Chef Kitchen Spritzer (or use olive oil or butter-flavor cooking spray). Bake 8-10 minutes or until baguette slices are golden brown and Brie begins to soften. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 12 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 230, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 38 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 400 mg, Fiber 2 g

Remember to always wear plastic gloves when working with jalapeño peppers. The juice from the peppers can create a burning sensation on the skin. Also, you can increase or decrease the "heat" of this recipe by leaving the seeds in the jalapeño or scraping them out before chopping.

For a simple garnish, slice a jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise. Brush cut surface with apricot jam. Place next to Brie before baking.

Enjoy Naomi