Cherry (or Blueberry) Cream Cheese Squares

Crust:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 stick margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13" baking pan. Mix crumbs, powdered sugar, and margarine. With a fork, press mixture evenly into the bottom of greased pan. Set aside.

Cream cheese filling:
1 cup sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, beaten

Blend sugar and softened cheese until smooth. Add beaten eggs and beat until smooth. Spread over the crust and bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Fruit topping

1 (21-ounce) can cherry or blueberry pie filling
2 tablespoons lemon juice

When the baked cream-cheese mixture has cooled completely, prepare the fruit topping. Stir lemon juice into pie filling and spread over the cream cheese mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate until serving time.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

4 packs (16 oz. total) cream cheese 1 cup canned pumpkin 1 cup sugar or Splenda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 4 large eggs 2 (9-inch) graham cracker pie crusts

Directions:
Place cream cheese in mixing bowl and let it set about 1/2 hour to soften at room temperature. Mix well with electric beater at medium speed. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add sugar (or Splenda), vanilla, and spices, mixing well. Add eggs; mix until well blended. Pour into graham cracker crusts. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until cheesecake is set. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving. Garnish with whipped topping or whipped cream before serving.

Notes:
This can be a low-cal cheesecake (relatively speaking) if you use low-fat or no-fat cream cheese and Splenda. I make this cheesecake every year at Thanksgiving. It's really good. I prefer to use a large cheesecake pan with a homemade graham cracker crust, instead of using the ready-made graham cracker crusts.

Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

Prepared crust (recipe below) 3 (8-oz) packages of cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar, divided 1/2 cup sour cream

2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided 3 tablespoons flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
Prepare crust and set aside. Place softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, sour cream, and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth. Add flour a little at a time, beating after each addition, until smooth. Set this mixture aside.

Preheat the oven to 450°. In another bowl, stir together cocoa powder and 1/4 cup sugar. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and 1-1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture, beating until well blended. Spoon the two batters alternately into the crust, ending with chocolate on top. Swirl a knife through the batter to create a marbled look.

Place the cheesecake in the oven, and do not open the oven door again until the baking process is finished. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 250° and bake for ­30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. Then, open the oven door and remove the cheesecake. Place on a rack to cool; store in refrigerator, covered.

Crust:
1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter

Heat oven to 350°. Mix crumbs, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan, bringing it up the sides of the pan about 1/2 inch. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Easy Cheesecake

Crust :
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 cup melted margarine

Filling:
2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/3 cup sugar or Splenda
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°. Combine crust ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Press onto bottom and side of an ungreased 9-inch pie pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the softened cheese until smooth. Gradually add sour cream, beating until smooth. Beat in sour cream, sugar, eggs and lemon juice. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until filling is just set. Cool completely. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Top with fresh or canned fruit and serve.

Notes:
If you're in a hurry, use a ready-made 9-inch graham cracker crust. I usually triple this recipe and bake it in two 9-inch springform pans.

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

1 (8 oz.) package softened cream cheese 1/3 cup sugar 1 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons vanilla

1 (8-oz.) container whipped topping 2 ready-to-use graham cracker crusts Strawberries (if desired)

Directions:
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the whipped topping gently, just until well blended. Spoon into crusts. Chill until set (4 hours or more). Garnish with strawberries if desired. Cut and serve.

Oreo Cookie Dessert

1 large package Oreo cookies 1 stick butter, melted 2 small boxes French Vanilla instant pudding mix

2-1/2 cups milk 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 8 ounces Cool Whip (1 small carton)

Directions:
Finely mash the cookies, reserving two whole cookies for the topping. Add the melted butter and mix well. Spread evenly in the bottom of a 9x13" pan to create a crust. In another bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix. Blend well, then add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour mixture over the Oreo crust. Rub the two reserved cookies together, allowing the crumbs to fall onto the pudding to create a garnish. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Notes:
My sister gave me this recipe. When she fixed it for us, she used 1 box chocolate pudding mix and 1 box French vanilla. It was great.

Light Lemon Cheesecake

Cooking spray 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 1-1/3 cups sugar-free vanilla cookies 3 (8-oz.) packages fat-free cream cheese

1-1/3 cup fat-free sour cream, divided 2 cups sugar substitute 3/4 cup egg substitute 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Crumble the cookies and mix the crumbs with melted butter; press mixture onto bottom and up 1-1/2" on the sides. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned on edges. Place on rack to cool.

2. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and 1 cup sour cream together in a large bowl with electric mixer for 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar substitute. Reduce mixer speed and add egg substitute; mix until blended. Stir in grated peel and lemon juice. Pour into cooled crust.

3. Bake at 350° for 60 minutes or until center of cheesecake is almost set. Place on rack to cool. When completely cooled, spread 1/3 cup sour cream over top and refrigerate several hours before serving.

Classic Cherry Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 325°. In a 9-inch springform pan, mix graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter together. Press mixture firmly onto the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling
5 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs

In a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla extract. When well blended, slowly add sour cream, mixing well after each addition. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing only until blended after each addition. Pour cheese mixture into springform pan over crust. Bake at 325° for 65 minutes, or until center is almost set. Remove from oven, and loosen edges. Release clips on pan. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack; remove rim of pan when cooled. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Topping:
1 can (20 oz.) cherry pie filling
Chocolate curls (optional)

Just before serving, spread cherry pie filling over top of cheesecake. If desired, garnish with chocolate curls. (Make chocolate curls by setting a large block of unsweetened baking chocolate in a warm spot to soften slightly for about an hour. "Peel" the block by running a sharp vegetable peeler along the edge of the block from top to bottom in one motion.)