Bavarian Apple Cheesecake

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup margarine or butter

1 Tbsp. shortening

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. salt

4 cups peeled, cored, and sliced cooking apples (such as Golden Delicious or Granny Smith)

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Coconut Florentines

Sadly, holiday cookies often fall into one of two camps: they either look great and taste awful or look awful and taste great.  Very rarely will you find one that does both.

Given the choice, I'll always default to taste over looks and take the yummy cookie over the cute cookie, but here are two recipes that do both. Firstly, the elegantly ornamental Spiced Gingerbread Cookies and secondly, the decadently dressed Coconut Florentines.

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Drunkin' Punkin Pots de Crème

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
6 ounces milk
½ vanilla bean (1tsp vanilla extract if vanilla bean is not available)
5 ounces dark brown sugar
3 ounces Dark Rum
10 egg yolks
8 ounces of canned Pumpkin puree
Pinch of salt
½ tsp fresh lemon juice

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Fudgy Sweetheart Brownie Bites

Recipe courtesy of Laura Himmelein, owner Party Cake Party Cake

Brownies
Makes 36 heart-shape brownie bites

1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 stick salted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

White Chocolate Coating
14 oz. bag pink candy melts, 2 ¾ cups
14 oz. bag orange candy melts, 2 ¾ cups

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German Apple Cake

"Enough" apples peeled, cored, and quartered*

1/2 lb. butter

4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 Egg

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

tapioca

Combine all ingredients except apples and tapioca. Work together to create chunky crumbs. Spread and pack crumbs on bottom and sides of "tube" pan.  Reserve 1/3 of crumbs for top of cake. Sprinkle with tapioca. Place sliced apples over crumbs. Dot with 1/4 lb butter.  Sprinklw with sugar and cinnamon.  Vocer with the remainder of crumbs.

Bake at 325 degress for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

*Grandma is not really sure about the quantity of apples, she simply said, "use enough." Okay . . .