Nut Crusted Cheesecake Pie

To keep the low-carb thing going I found this recipe last week to use as a pie crust into which I poured Kilby's cheesecake modified batter. It was a success, so I'm noting it here. 

I used sliced almonds and ground them finer. Skimpy on the sugar additions. Used almond flavoring in the batter which was:

2 8 oz packages of room temp cream cheese

2 eggs and yolk of third egg whose white was part of the crust recipe

1/3 c sugar

tsp flavoring (tonight I've used vanilla to go with a pecan crust)

Chocolate Coconut Cookies

 Not sure where I got this in the first place, but here it is. I might substitute white chocolate chips for the choco ones and macadamia nuts for the coconut this time. Another nice change to this recipe is to use yellow cake mix and substitute cinnamon chips for chocolate, pecans for the walnuts, and sprinkling the cooled cookies with cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 350o

Combine and mix well:

1 box dark chocolate cake mix

2 sticks butter

2 eggs

Add and mix:

1 c shredded coconut

1.5 c crushed cornflakes

1/2 c rolled oats

1 c chopped walnuts

1 c chocolate chips

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for ten minutes. Makes 48. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.

One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake

So my grandson has dairy and egg allergies. What to do about his upcoming first birthday? Found this recipe for AJ and Eleen's wedding reception a couple years ago and it may be the best chocolate cake I've ever had. Try it!

Funeral Pie

My mother-in-law passed on a cookbook called Heavenly Recipes from Dunker Kitchens: Over 900 Favorite Recipes Submitted by the Sisters of the Old German Baptist Brethren Church, Miami Valley Press, Covington, Ohio. My understanding was, maybe from reading the Laura Wilder Ingalls books, that as raisins were available year round when fresh fruit was not, winter-time funerals were graced with food like this. Deathly thoughts aside, I have used this recipe to acclaim several times and I'm sending the pie to a baby shower tonight. Enjoy!

Cheesecake waffles

This just in from Kilby. 

Coffee Ice Cream

So this works out to

3 T instant coffee (let me recommend Cafe Bustelo)
2 T water
1 c (or half a can or 7 oz. or 200 ml) condensed milk
2-2/3 c whipping cream

or double it to

1/3 c instant coffee
1/3 water
1 can (396 ml) condensed milk
5 c whipping cream

(Don't miss the end of the video linked above if you want to be calorie conscious...)

Sticky Toffee Pudding

When you lose the mince meat pie mix and can't find it Christmas morning, you revert to a recipe, heretofore unconverted to american measurements, for hopefully the best English Christmas dinner dessert ever. I'm thinking that I'm using (this old, stained green paper in my recipe notebook) a recipe someone in Scotland gave me after we discovered this dessert at one of the restaurants in St Andrews in 1996.

Not sure what size pan to put this amount in. I'll edit this post after today's experiment. But by guidance in the smitten kitchen recipe for something similar, I'll bake it in an 11 x 15 pan for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

The Mixture:

1 stick butter (¼ pound)

1-1/2 cups caster sugar (granulated sugar beat finer in the blender)

2 eggs

4 c flour

2 tsp salt

2 Tb double active baking powder

1-1/4 c chopped dates

1 tsp baking soda

2 c boiling water

Cream the butter and sugar until white and fluffy.

Beat in eggs gradually.

Fold in the flour

In separate bowl, pour boiling water over dates and baking soda. When the water is absorbed, add dates to creamed mixture.

Bake in hot oven for approximately 40 minutes.

The Sauce:

2 sticks butter (½ pound)

2-1/4 c brown sugar

1 pint double cream

Boil all ingredients together. Pour over backed pudding and brown under the grill before serving. For overkill, serve with more fresh double cream.

Peanut Butter Bars

Another from my favorite COUNTRY KITCHEN COOKBOOK, published in the late seventies by Tyndale House Publishers and now totally single pages with a rubberband holding it together. Made these the other day and will definitely make them again soon, but this time changing the frosting recipe for something more chocolatey and more of a glaze.

1/2 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/4 c milk
1 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c rolled oats

Cream first five ingredients. Add egg and milk. Sift together dry ingredients and blend into creamed mixture. Pour into 8-inch square pan and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Frost cake after it is cooled.

Cocoa frosting:
2 c 10x sugar
1/4 c cocoa
3 T butter, softened
2-3 T boiling water
1/2 t vanilla

Marcia's Orange Cranberry Bread

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter, hardened and shredded into flour mixture.

3/4 orange juice, and add orange zest to make 1 cup total
1beaten egg

2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Mix in orange juice mixture and beaten egg. Fold in cranberries and walnuts.

Pour into greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.

Bake 350 for one hour.

Top with melting butter and powdered sugar.

Slices best after refrigeration.

Homemade Cake Mix

An easy but delicious chocolate cake. I double the recipe and make up several bags of this mix at a time. It’s as simple as measuring the dry ingredients — 3 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, 8 tablespoons of cocoa, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and 2 teaspoons of salt — into plastic bags. To make the cake mix into cake, add 2 cups of cold water, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 3/4 cup of oil, and stir just enough so the wet and dry ingredients are completely mixed… and that’s it!

Each bag of this cake mix makes two dozen cupcakes or two eight inch square cakes. I hope you will try this, because although this recipe is simple, the cake is wonderful.

Found at: http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/making-your-own-cake-mix/ 

Carrot Cake

Some cakes get better with a little age, so as I'm leaving three days before Susan's birthday I offered to make her the carrot cake she wanted. This is slightly different from the recipe my mom used for my wedding cake which included 2 c coconut,  1 large, drained can of crushed pineapple and 2 tsp vanilla instead of any nutmeg. Ah, yes, and the oil was more, the eggs and the carrots were fewer and the chemistry was different, but that's not for this post...

2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 c finely shredded carrots
1 c cooking oil
4 eggs
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c raisins (preferably white)

Sift together dry ingredients. Add oil and eggs and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts and raisins.

Bake at 325 for 50 to 60 minutes

Let cool and top put layers together with 1/2 cream cheese frosting, saving the other half for the top layer.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat until smooth and fluffy:


3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Happy Birthday, Susan! You've gotten lovelier every year!

Quick "Baked" Custard

My favorite breakfast in the world is French toast. Ideally, that means stale bread soaked in just eggs and milk and fried on a griddle with butter. Then, of course, smothered in syrup. But today I decided I didn't have time to wrestle with golden syrup, the only stuff I have, so I went the sugary vanilla French toast route.

But that's not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about the cold, smooth, firm custard, dusted with nutmeg, that Miss Craig brought our family every time we were sick. That could easily be my favorite dessert in the whole world. The nostalgia and comfort-food factors rocket it up above more sophisticated cakes and mousses on my list, and I have always regretted not being able to make it just right myself.

Well maybe this isn't "just right," but it's closer than any water-bath has gotten me yet.

After I'd made enough French toast this morning, I had just the right amount of egg mixture leftover to fit into a small oven-/microwave-safe ramekin, the same kind of service Miss Craig used for her custards. A (brilliant) thought occurred to me. I've been microwaving eggs for the last few months as a mid-morning protein snack with minimal cleanup requirement, so why wouldn't I microwave this? The milk would stabilize it, I imagined; my microwaved eggs are very touchy-feely about the amount of time and power they get. (Usually I drastically overcook them.)

So into the ramekin went equal parts beaten eggs and milk, a handful of castor sugar, a dash of vanilla, and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Into the microwave went the ramekin, for 2 minutes and 30 seconds at power level 3. Out came a slightly denser version of Miss Craig's custard, piping hot and still barely jiggling.

Try it! I didn't measure anything (except I used 6 eggs for the French toast) and I had to keep my eye on the microwave while it was cooking. Your microwave is probably different to mine; just make sure not to overcook it. When it puffs up over the rim of the dish, it's done, and when it comes out it should still be wobbly and probably a little runny underneath, but that's okay: just let it sit in it's super-hot bowl or ramekin until it settles down and finishes cooking to perfection in its own heat.

Caramelized Apple and Goat Cheese Tartines

This is a little snack perfect for afternoon tea or a very informal dessert. I concocted it on a cloudy Sunday evening for Paul and me to share. It will have been the first of many times it appears in my snack rotation. I used lavender (which my neighbor grows whole bushes of) and thyme with the apples, and although you could substitute different herbs or spices, I highly recommend this combination. So go get yourself some lavender and goat cheese and make this right now.

• baguette
• soft goat cheese
• 2 large apples
• <1/4 t lavender
• <1/4 t thyme
• 1 T butter
• 2 T sugar
• 1 T apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 450º with the rack in the top third of the oven.

Slice 6 diagonal pieces of the baguette (I used French, but I think whole grain bread would be nicer) and spread each slice with a generous smear of goat cheese. Set aside.

Peel, core, and finely chop the apples. The herbs should be finely chopped as well. Heat the butter in a medium skillet until browning, then add the apples and herbs. Toss over medium-high heat until the apples begin to brown.

At this point, place the bread in the oven, either on a baking sheet or directly on the rack. Keep an eye on it, but it should take about 10 minutes to toast and for the cheese to melt.

Add the sugar and cider vinegar to the apples and turn the heat down to medium-low. Toss occasionally until the vinegar is cooked off, the sugar is melted, and some of the apples have a dark brown edge.

When the toast is done, remove from the oven and top each slice with a spoonful of the apples. Serve warm.

Makes 6 tartines.

Lubowa treats

Spent a lovely time with Kilby in Uganda last week, cooking in her kitchen, shopping in her second-story supermarket. I asked her to send me the recipe for the grilled salt and vinegar potatoes we made one evening. Here's her emailed reply:

101cookbooks.com –– where we got the grilled salt and vinegar potatoes. Vegetarian/vegan whole food recipes, unbelievably creative.

smittenkitchen.com –– New Yorker with rich tastes and a great sense of humor, latest recipe is the fried egg/bacon salad sandwich.

oneperfectbite.blogspot.com –– I no longer follow this one because a lot of her recipes seem either samey or too complicated (stuff I can't make here, using processed food ingredients) but she does have some great ideas and lots of good dessert recipes.

annies-eats.com –– mom of two with tons of "DIY" (do it yourself) recipes. I've made pumpkin spice syrup and flour tortillas from her recipes.

German Mandarin Tart

Sheri Grabulis made this to share at a Sunday dinner during their seminary days. I hadn't tried it until tonight, but it is fabulous, and not too difficult to make. I think I'll be making this one again!

Crust:
Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons mandarin juice (or you can use orange peel; I used both), blend. Add 14 tablespoons (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) butter or margarine, in chunks (I shredded very cold butter with a veggie shredder, tossing it after every couple tablespoons, rub in with your fingers just until dough holds together. Press over bottom and up sides of a greased 10-inch tart pan with removable rim.

1. Filling:
2 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
12 oz mandarin juice
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
16oz sour cream
12 oz mandarins
In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat eggs and granulated sugar until well blended. Stir in by hand mandarin juice, lemon juice, and sour cream. Add mandarins. Pour filling over crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Mrs. Gum's Sponge Cake

Mikyoung's mother in law made this cake for every Gum birthday for many years. Now her daughter makes it for the family birthday celebrations in which we are often blessed to be included. The frosting, almost straight butter, is my favorite part of this delicious cake, and really my favorite frosting ever! We had it again tonight, for this was Mrs. Gum's birthday. Thanks, Allyson, for the cake AND for the recipe!

12 eggs separated
2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Beat egg whites, add 1 c sugar and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar. Beat until stiff (high), set aside.

Beat egg yolks at high speed until lemon color. Add remaining sugar, vanilla & flour. Blend until thoroughly mixed. Fold in egg whites slowly.

Bake in 350 degree preheated oven.

4 round layer pans for 25 minutes.
9" x 14" pan - 35 minutes (1-1/2 recipe)
2 5" x 9" loaf pans - 40 minutes
12" x 18" pan for double recipe - 45 minutes
12" x 18" pan for single recipe - 25 minutes
10" x 16" pan for single recipe - 25 minutes

Mocha Icing

1-1/2 pound (six sticks) unsalted butter (or 1 lb sweet butter & 1/2 lb margarine)
1-1/2 tsp cocoa
1-1/2 tsp instant coffee melted in 1 T boiling water.
3--4 heaping T powdered sugar, or to taste.

Kah'wah (Turkish Coffee)

When Kilby and Paul were in town they made us a dinner reminiscent of their Turkish layover on their move to Uganda in January. Kilby had me follow this recipe to go with the lovely dessert she made. Easy enough so copied here. See more at Food.com by chef FIFI.

For three servings:

2 c water

2 T FINELY GROUND coffee

1/4 t ground cardamom

1--2 T sugar (to taste)

Place water and sugar in pot large enough to boil. (Boiling coffee tends to boil up and over, so make sure it's big.) Once boiling, add coffee very slowly and decrease heat. Stir frequently, removing from burner until boiling up subsides, repeating this step 3--4 times. Do NOT leave pot unattended.

Serve in demitasse cups.

Guava Cheese Puffs

1 lb. thawed puff pastry

1 T sugar

8 oz. cream cheese, cut into 8 equal pieces

8 1x1" squares of guava paste

1 egg beaten with 1 t water

1/4 c 10x sugar

1 t milk

1/4 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle the T of sugar on your workplace to keep dough from sticking. Roll out each sheet of puff pastry to an 8 x 8" square. Cut each sheet into 4 squares.

Put cream cheese and guava paste pieces diagonally over the center of the bottom of each square of puff pastry. Brush edges with beaten egg. Fold upper half of square over filling to make triangle. Crimp edges with a fork. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.l

Mix 10x sugar with milk and vanilla and drizzle over puffs 10 to 15 minutes after removing from oven.

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Tonight I found that we didn't have two boxes of vanilla, so I split the whipped cream in two and the milk in two, and did two separate bowls, two separate layers, one of chocolate, one of vanilla. I also didn't use whipped topping tonight but 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream whipped so that the dessert would not be too cloyingly sweet.

1 lb. honey graham crackers

2 pkgs. French vanilla instant pudding mix

3 c. milk

9 oz. whipped topping

Mix pudding and milk. Fold in whipped topping.

Cover bottom of 9" x 13" pan with whole crackers, breaking where necessary to piece to the edges.

Cover with half the pudding mix. Make another layer of crackers. Cover with the rest of the pudding mixture. Top with crackers.

Frost with smooth mixture of:

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

1 t. vanilla

3 T. butter

1.5 c. powdered sugar (may be too much)

3 T. milk.

Chill at least 8 hours.

Cut into squares and serve for enjoyment!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Whipped Cream

FOR THE CAKE:

1½ sticks butter (softened)

1 cup castor sugar

6 eggs separated

6oz plain dark chocolate, melted

½ tea spoon of ground cinnamon

FOR THE GANACHE:

¾ cup heavy cream

6 oz plain dark chocolate, melted

PREPARATION:

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F. Grease and flour an 8 inch x 4 inch high spring form cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time (slowly).
2. Mix in the melted chocolate and the ground cinnamon. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form stiff peaks. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the mixture to loosen the mixture. Slowly fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture. Pour mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the oven for 35-40 min. Remove from cake tin and allow to cool for 45min. Cake will deflate during cooling.

TO MAKE THE GANACHE:

1. In a medium sized sauce pan, heat the cream and add the melted chocolate and stir. Allow to cool slightly.
2. Cut off the uneven crust from the top of the cake. Invert cake onto a cooling rack set over a large bowl. Pour ganache over the cake and allow excess to drain off. Decorate cake with candles and serve with whipped cream.

More Info: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/flourless-chocolate-cake.htm