For some reason, the dining hall at Amherst decided to serve a full Thanksgiving dinner last Thursday. There is some rationale for the choice, given that our Thanksgiving break will begin this Friday, and many students will have left campus by Thursday this week. But why didn't the school push the celebration forward to this Wednesday. Is there a cardinal rule that a turkey dinner with cranberry sauce and stuffing can only be consumed on a Thursday? Regardless of the rationale, last Thursday  (a full two weeks before Thanksgiving) we were treated to the full spread of traditional Thanksgiving fare: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash puree, green beans, apple pie, mixed fruit pie, and pumpkin cheesecake. 
We have made cheesecake previously on Dorm Room Delights, and still have pumpkin puree left over from our Pumpkin Pie Truffles, so we decided to make our own pumpkin cheesecake. This recipe turned out to be a massive success; the cheesecake  is wonderfully spiced and remarkably light. In addition, we discovered that a baby mason jar is the perfect size to hold an appropriate ratio of graham cracker crust, cheesecake filling, and whipped cream. If you don't have a mini mason jar, you could easily assemble this treat in a coffee mug. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 graham crackers
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch nutmeg
  • pinch ginger
DIRECTIONS:
  • Crush graham crackers and place in bottom of small mason jar
  • Whip 1/2 cup of cream, set aside
  • Whisk together cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, and spices until smooth
  • Fold in half of the whipped cream to the pumpkin mixture
  • Pour over graham crackers
  • Spoon remaining whipped cream on top of cheesecake layer
  • Refrigerate 1 hour
 
Our first recipe here on Dorm Room Delights was peppermint bark, and it is still one of our favorites. Chocolate barks are ridiculously easy to make using an electric kettle, and can be customized with infinite combinations of toppings. For this thanksgiving season, we decided to make a fall themed recipe for chocolate bark. This is a combination of Reeses pieces, pretzels, white chocolate, and cranberries held together with a layer of semisweet chocolate. Could it get any better?
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INGREDIENTS:
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • handful pretzels
  • handful Reeses pieces
  • handful of dried cranberries
  • handful white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
  • Form an open rectangular box out of aluminum foil (should be similar in size to a standard chocolate bar)
  • Melt semisweet chips in a double boiler
  • Pour melted chocolate into foil and spread evenly
  • Layer toppings on bark
  • Place in refrigerator and cool until chocolate has hardened
 
What is puppy chow? No, it is not dog food. It is a delicious sugary treat that happens to have a striking resemblance to the brown processed squares dumped in the food bowls of canines around the world. Although it is unclear why anyone would want to associate animal food with this sweet snack, the alternative is no better; Chex cereal brand makes this treat and sells it under the name "Muddy Buddies". 
Despite the unfortunate names, puppy chow or Muddy Buiddies are a super easy and delicious treat that can be made in many varieties. Classic puppy chow is Chex cereal that is first coated with mixture of melted chocolate and peanut budder, and then tossed in powdered sugar. Variations of puppy chow can be created by coating the cereal in anything that melts well, like white chocolate or Nutella, and tossing in various powders: red velvet cake mix, or a cinnamon powdered sugar, for example.
This is a recipe for classic puppy chow, but feel free to experiment in your dorm room and come up with your own flavor combination.
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INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 Cups rice Chex cereal
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1/4  cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/8 cups powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS:
  • In double boiler, melt chocolate and peanut butter
  • Pour over Chex cereal, and stir until cereal is completely coated
  • Move chocolate covered cereal into a tupperware container
  • Add powdered sugar, and toss until sugar is evenly distributed