Dorothy Kelly (Nov. 20, 2003)

Thanksgiving Tips
Allow about 6 ounces of turkey per person.
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Offer twice as many savory sides as sweet.
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Each guest will eat one full serving of dessert.
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Garnishes can hide flawed planters and tablecloths.
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Make pie and/or cookie dough ahead and freeze.
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Prep and chop vegetables the night before.
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Locate all dishes and silverware in advance.
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Shop early for beverages and non-perishables.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake Pie
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg yolk
3 medium sweet potatoes,
cooked and mashed
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese,
softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
Pecan Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons margarine,
softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients and stir to make a ball. Pat about two-thirds of the dough on the bottom of a 10″ springform pan with sides removed to make 1/8″ thick. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crust starts to brown around edges. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Attach sides to pan. Pat remaining dough about 1 inch up inside of pan.

Beat sweet potatoes, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in medium bowl. Mix until blended, set aside. Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until blended, add sweet potato mixture. Beat in eggs. Pour batter into springform pan.

Place springform pan in larger pan on oven rack. Pour very hot water into larger pan to one-third the height of springform pan. Bake 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is set, adding very hot water to larger pan as needed.

Meanwhile, make Pecan Crumb Topping: Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle Pecan Crumb Topping over cheesecake. Bake about 30 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool 30 minutes. Loosen side of cheesecake from pan; remove side of pan. Refrigerate uncovered 3 to 4 hours or until chilled. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Store covered in refrigerator.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes
1 package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix, egg and butter. Pat the mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. For filling; mix cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth, add eggs, vanilla and butter, mixing well. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix well.

Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The center should be a little gooey. Serve with whipped cream.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings