Cool off with warming fall desserts

ALISA SLOAN
Special Sections Editor

If this were Wisconsin or even Washington state, right now we'd find it necessary to warm up with hot cups of cocoa, bundle up in nubby sweaters and spend our nights in front of glowing fireplaces.

However, though it's mid-October, here in the Valley of the Sun we're still wearing shorts and T-shirts and sitting on patios during dinner, pretending that a nighttime low of 80 degrees makes it cool enough to wear long-sleeved shirts.

While some of us are dreaming of cooler temps and a release from the heat, why not pretend that - despite what the thermometer says - it feels like fall outside.

Here are some recipes for warming fall desserts. Turn down the air conditioning a few degrees tonight, preheat the oven and pretend you're in a cooler clime. For these sweet treats, it will be worth it.

Honey Bread Pudding

8 cups day-old egg bread, cubed
3 cups milk
1 cup half and half
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. each vanilla and ground cinnamon

Honey Cream Sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. rum or 1/4 tsp. rum extract

Place bread cubes in a lightly buttered shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, beat together milk, half and half, honey, orange peel, vanilla and cinnamon until well blended. Pour mixture over bread cubes and let stand for 1 hour or until the bread has absorbed the liquid. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place dish in hot oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, beat cream until light and fluffy. Slowly add honey and beat until stiff. Fold in rum or extract. Serve dollops of cream over the warm bread pudding. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Yam Pecan Pie

1 refrigerated 9-inch pie crust
1 (15 oz.) can yams (sweet potatoes) drained and mashed or 1 cup fresh yams, cooked and mashed
2 large eggs, divided
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 large egg whites
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, blend together yams, one egg, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spread evenly on bottom of piecrust. In a mixing bowl, beat together remaining egg, egg whites, corn syrup, sugar and vanilla until mixture is frothy. Stir in pecans. Carefully spoon mixture over yam layer. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until filling is set around edges or a knife inserted halfway between the center and edge comes out clean. Cool and serve. Makes 8 servings.

Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Chip Layered Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cartons (8 oz. each) dairy sour cream
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 3/4 cups (11 oz. package) peanut butter and milk chocolate chips, divided
1 tsp. shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa and melted butter in medium bowl. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 minutes; remove from oven. Cool slightly.
Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla on medium speed of mixer until well-blended. Add sour cream, beat on low speed until blended. Add eggs, beat on low speed until just blended. Do not over-beat.
Pour 2 cups filling into prepared crust. Reserve 1/4 cup chips for drizzle. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cup chips evenly over filling in pan. Carefully spoon remaining filling over chips.
Bake about 1 hour or until center is almost set. Remove from oven. Using knife or narrow metal spatula, loosen cheesecake from side of pan. Cool on wire rack additional 30 minutes. Remove side of pan; cool 1 hour.
Combine shortening and reserved 1/4 cup chips in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave on high additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Drizzle over cheesecake; cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Makes 12 to 14 servings.

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