Butternut Soup with a Swirl of Cranberry

Nothing says fall -- or deliciousness -- like squash. Especially mild, slightly sweet, and more-than-slightly yummy butternut squash. Butternut Squash with a Swirl of Cranberry {page 170} is a silky delicious puree of butternut squash and other vegetables, swirled with a smooth cranberry puree.

The soup itself is delicious, light but flavorful, smooth, sweet, and comforting. A perfect bowl of wonderfulness for a cool fall evening. However, the cranberry swirl takes the whole dish to a whole new level. The tart-but-sweet nature of the cranberry pairs perfectly with the more mellow squash, and brightens up the flavor. As an additional benefit, if you're careful about how you swirl, your soup looks awesome! {If you are not careful, your soup looks like a murder scene, or worse...}

I can see this soup being a perfect first-course for a big fall or winter feast, or a complete meal when served with some crusty bread and a nice salad.

-- Your Friendly Neighborhood Batgirl

Pumpkin Cheezcake with Cranberry Drizzle

I love pumpkin and I love cheesecake so I couldn't resist making the Pumpkin Cheezcake with Cranberry Drizzle page 454. I have been planning on making a pumpkin cheesecake ever since I tried a piece at a local health food store. I had planned on using another recipe but decided to try this one. And boy, I'm glad I did!

This was a first for me: I made my own crust. I had to add a little extra Earth Balance to the quarter cup the recipe called for, I'd say maybe an extra tablespoon. I also greased the sides of the pan to help the graham cracker mix stick. The filling was easy to make and I tasted some before putting it into the oven. It was delicious just like that. I had to wait what seemed like forever to try the finished product though-an hour cooling on the counter then four hours in the fridge. Well it was getting late and I couldn't wait any longer so after three hours I whipped up the cranberry topping and tasted my yummy cheesecake. The cranberry is the perfect topping-a little bit tart to balance out all that sweetness.

Here is the cheesecake fresh out of the fridge without the cranberry:



I am probably going to have to make up extra cranberry drizzle because I don't think the recipe makes enough for the whole cake. I promised the boyfriend I would save him a piece for when he comes home. It's a good thing it's a three day or I might not be able to keep that promise! This will be the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving.

--vegankitty