Cinnamon Maple Chunky Applesauce

• 4 cups peeled, chopped apples (fresh or frozen is fine)
• ½ cup very loosely packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup good bourbon or brandy (optional)
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Maple Flavoring or 1 Tablespoon Fresh Maple Syrup

Place all ingredients into the crock pot. Stir until apples are coated. Cook on high heat for about 3 hours. Stir ingredients and mash with potato masher leaving some chunks. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or cold.

Apple Salad

• 6 small tart apples -I used Granny Smith (cored and diced)
• 3 -1.5 oz candy bars either Snickers, Take 5 or Nutrageous (chopped)
• 8 oz of whipped cream topping or whip it yourself fresh
• 1 sm box instant vanilla pudding
• 1 cup milk

Toss the cored, diced apples with the chopped candy bars. Fold in whip cream. Refrigerate and serve when ready. Does it get more simple then that?

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• 2 teaspoons melted butter
  
• 1 generous pinch of kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups raw pumpkin seeds

Clean seeds from pumpkins. Rinse and remove all pumpkin strings. Let dry thoroughly. Mix with melted butter and salt. Adjust the butter and salt depending on how many seeds you have to roast.
For seasoned seeds use various kinds of salt or spices.  If you like them spicy try Cajun or Chili season. If you like them sweet try a cinnamon sugar mixture.
Place in single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 300°F oven, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutty Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

• 1¼ Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
  
• 1/4 Cup ground walnuts
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

Mix all ingredients until coated with butter. Press into bottom and up sides of a sprayed 9" spring foam pan. Put into refrigerator to chill while making filling.

Filling:

• 3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese (room temperature)
• 14 0unce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free)
• 15 ounce can pumpkin or 2 cups fresh processed
• 3 eggs (room temperature)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300°F. In large bowl cream cheese until fluffy. Blend in sweetened condensed milk, scrape sides often to make sure the mixture stays creamy. Add pumpkin, eggs, syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix until well blended. Pour into chilled spring foam pan. Place a cake pan ¼ filled with water on the rack below center (this helps keep it from cracking badly). Place cheese cake on center rack. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes. Cheesecake is done when edge springs back when touched. Center will be slightly soft. Cool slowly and completely before removing side of pan. Chill in refrigerator. Top with whip cream and a sprinkling of ground walnuts.