If you love a soft cookie with a dusting of cinnamon and sugar, it’s pretty hard to compete with the classic Snickerdoodle. The traditional cookie is slightly crunchy on the outside and soft in the center. As if Snickerdoodles aren’t addicting enough, this variation makes them even more irresistible! The center in this recipe has a cheesecake filling that really puts them over the top. It’s not a large amount of filling, only a small dollop of a combination of cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. It’s just enough for you taste buds to say, “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” If you are a purist and just want a great traditional Snickerdoodle, this recipe is for you, minus the filling. On the other hand, I’m certain cheesecake lovers will appreciate the delicious surprise inside!
oz. cream cheese
Cheesecake Snickerdoodles
Arkansas Pumpkin Cake
Let’s make fall official! If you’re crazy for an ultra-moist, rich-tasting cake with a mouthwatering frosting, the Arkansas Pumpkin Cake will help kick off this pumpkin harvest season in a big way! This is a dessert that I absolutely love, and I think you will too! The recipe was sent to me by Mary Koeplin of Glendale, Arizona whose husband John was making the cake for her birthday that day. Little did Mary know that her email actually came on my birthday, and it turned out to be a wonderful gift for me, too!
“Dear Jan, I’m having this cake for my birthday and I think you would love it. I got the recipe in 1973 from my cousin Vivian Hanson who lives in Marietta, Georgia. She gave it to me when I was first married 40 years ago. It’s a very unusual cake in that it stays moist forever! Fall seems to be the best time of the year for this spice cake. We’ve only made it as a Bundt cake and it always turns out well.”
I’ve made Mary’s Arkansas Pumpkin Cake in a large Bundt pan and in a 9X13 inch baking dish. I’ve also made the recipe and divided it into two smaller, 8×8 cake pans and froze one for later. The icing is fabulous with this over-the-top moist dessert, and it’s just as delicious refrigerated as it is room temperature. Thank you, Mary! Yet another reason to be thankful as we kick off the holiday season!
