Rich-Con Cooks!

You cooked for us, now we’ll cook for you! We debuted Richmond Cooks on this day last year, featuring several recipes from the kitchens of Richmond Confidential readers. This year, our staff has compiled some of our own favorite recipes.

You’ll find a few “family recipes” from cultural backgrounds including Greek and Italian, as well as a few recipes that meet special dietary needs (think vegan and gluten-free!). And, of course, we’ve included some of our favorite all-American holiday eats.

These recipes are home-tested and Rich-Con approved, and we encourage you to add them to your holiday tables.

How about dessert first?

Pumpkin cheesecake bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons cold butter or margarine
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice

Process

1. Combine flour and brown sugar in bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Set aside 3/4 cup of mixture for topping.
2. Press remaining crumb mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Beat in the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Store in refrigerator over night and cut into bars.

Source: www.allrecipes.com. Recommended by Stacey Kennelly.

All the Recipes

• Spanakopita
• Baklava
• Pumpkin Scones
• Southern Italian Braciole
• Flourless Chocolate Cake
• Cranberry Almond Goat Cheese Log
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Gluten-free Cranberry Scones
• Homemade Eggnog
• Apple Parsnip Soup
• Tofu Potato Salad
• Moroccan Couscous

|

Tip: Pay close attention to directions involving temperature to ensure your cheesecake comes out smooth.