Autumn Promise

Fall starts today!  I'm so excited that it is finally here.  This Fall will be different for me than any other.  Having grown  up in the country, I've been able to see the ushering in of Fall through the trees and fields.  Here, I have to get in the car and drive for awhile to find fields.  Trees are a little closer, but I still have to leave "the city."  In the meantime, I enjoy the promise of cooler weather (it's still in the 80's a lot), and my favorite Fall foods.  You will soon be able to see some of my favorite soup, casserole, and other fall recipes.

In the spirit of the new season, last Saturday I conquered some new culinary feats.  Well, conquered might be too strong of a word.  One of them is a new dessert!

I was watching Paula Dean on television and she made a delicious looking cheesecake cookie.  A cheesecake cookie?  I had never heard of such a thing, but she made it look so easy.  The next day, I was still thinking about the recipe, and my husband graciously went to the store to grab the needed ingredients.  It's so easy, you have to try it!

First, mix 1 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of crushed graham crackers, and 1 stick of melted butter.

This is going to be your crust.  Paula made it with pecans instead of graham crackers, but I hate nuts, and I wanted to see if I could make a graham cracker crust.

When it is all mixed together, pour the mixture into a 13x9 inch pan.  Press the mixture down into the pan, covering the bottom.  Cook the crust at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

While the crust is cooking, mix together two 8 oz packages of cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, 3 eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.  Beat everything together with a hand mixture until everything it is creamy.   

Pour the mixture onto the cooked crust, and place it all in the oven for 20 minutes.  When it is finished, remove and let cool completely.  Add toppings.  I left my cheesecake cookies plain, so that I could add different flavors after I cut each piece to serve.  We've had it topped with grape jam, blueberry pie filling, and chocolate chips!