Cheesecake

This is a recipe that my Mom and I have been using for as long as I can remember-- I believe it came from a neighbor at one time. It never fails to impress everyone -- including people who don't usually like cheesecake. It's dense, creamy, and just plain old delicious and is so easy to make, so don't fear -- if you're not a baker (and I'm not), you can still make this with ease.

Crust --

1.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix these together, and press them into the bottom of a 9 inch spring-form pan. Make sure the crumbs go half way up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate this for at least 15 minutes so the crust will set.

Preheat your over to 370 degrees.

Cream together 16 ounces of cream cheese (not whipped) and 1 cup sugar.
When thoroughly mixed, add three eggs, one at a time.
Then add 1 pint of sour cream (reduced fat is fine) and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract.

Mix thoroughly and pour into the crust.

Wrap the springform pan in aluminum foil, making sure it's fit tightly around the bottom an goes up close to the top of the pan.

Put it in a baking dish that has 1/2 inch of water (this will minimize the chances of having cracks in the top of the cheesecake, though if that happens, don't despair -- it does NOT impact the taste at all).

Bake for 30 minutes, and then turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake in the over for another hour. Remove after that hour, cool the cake further at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate.

There are many ways you can dress up and vary this cake -- options include:

Using rum or almond extract instead of vanilla
Adding 1/2 cut of small chocolate chips, heath bar crumbles, etc . . .
Pouring canned pie filling on top (cherry and blueberry work best) -- or serving on the side
Serving with fruit syrup that you make at home (recipe to follow)
Adding lemon, lime or orange zest to the mixture

The possibilities are as endless as your imagination!

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes

Lori's Luscious Crumb Cake

Thanks to the beautiful Lori Demarest-Barrett for this recipe.

CRUMB CAKE

1 box vanilla cake mix

CRUMBS:

2 (4) sticks of melted butter

2 (4) cups flour

2 (4) tsp. cinnamon

1 (2) tsp. vanilla

2/3 (1 1/3) cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Make vanilla cake according to directions on the box.

Take cake out of oven 10 minutes early to add crumbs.

CRUMBS

Combine melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon in a bowl.

Create crumbs with your hands. Add equal amounts of flour & sugar to create consistency of play dough.

Place crumbs carefully on top of cake. Bake 10 more minutes in the oven. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven until it cools.

Heart-healthy Trifle

Last summer, my slender, healthy-eating father had to undergo quadruple bypass surgery. In spite of all he's always done to keep healthy, genetics caught up with him. In the aftermath, we've all adjusted our eating to be more heart health -- less sodium and less fat.

This dessert is one I tried for Christmas and it was a huge success -- no one missed a single bit of fat from this concoction. I suggest preparing it at least 24 hours in advance so all the flavors can really meld, and it can be made as much as 48 hours in advance as well.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of low fat pound-cake (or if you want to be SUPER healthy, get a ring of angel-food cake)
If berries are fresh and in season, get 16 ounces of strawberries, 1 pint of blueberries, 1/2 pint of raspberries and 1/2 pint of blackberries.
If berries are NOT in season, get 2 large bags of frozen mixed berries
3 -4 bananas, cut into thin slices
1/3 cup of sugar or splenda
2 boxes of fat free vanilla pudding mix (can also get fat free/sugar free if you so desire) -- make them according to the directions with either skim or 1% milk
1 can of fat-free whipped cream

Put all the berries and the sugar or splenda into a sauce pot and turn the heat onto medium. Cook and stir frequently, until they start to soften and fall apart. Take the berry mixture off the heat before the berries lose all shape -- you want chunks of berry in the trifle.

Slice the cake into 1/3-ish inch thick slices.

Line the bottom of the trifle dish with cake, spoon 1/3 of the berry mixture over it, spreading it so that all the cake is covered, add a layer of banana slices, and then spoon 1/3 of the pudding over the berries. Repeat these layers twice. Cover the top layer of pudding with whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24-48 hours, and then spoon out servings that go all the way from the bottom to the top and enjoy!

Fruit Breads

Not to be confused with fruit cakes!!! These are the yummy loaves like banana or pumpkin breads that we all love as breakfast, snacks or desserts. I'm not much for baking, but these are so easy to make, that even I can manage.

I prefer to make them in a stand-mixer like my kitchen-aid, but a hand blender will work too.

First, mix the following ingredients:

2 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil (OR substitute 3/4 cup of applesauce - you'll never miss the oil nor notice a difference in taste)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. real vanilla extract

And your fruit (or veggies) -- suggestions include: 3 very ripe bananas, 1 can of cooked pumpkin, 1 cup of shredded apple, zucchini or berries. The possibilities are really endless.

Once this is all well integrated, add the following and mix until smooth:

1 and 1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. each of baking soda and baking powder
1 pinch of salt.

When it's well-mixed, pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, cut with a serrated knife, and dig in!!!

Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad? Who needs a recipe for fruit salad, you ask . . . all you do is cut up some fruit and toss it in a bowl and there you go!

True, that will do and especially if you're using fresh, seasonal fruit, it will be delicious.

But a simple dressing that I love will perk it up a lot!

For every 3 cups of fruit in your salad, mix:

the juice of one lime
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of minced fresh mint (peppermint or spearmint are both fine)

Toss thoroughly -- I promise this will make a huge difference that you will love.

Sherry's Jubilee Desserts

I'm very excited to tell you about a brand new company that sells the most delicious homemade chocolate that I have eaten in a long time!

Rebecca Miranda, the proprietor, just opened her own business, doing what she's done for fun for many years. Her chocolates are delectable, and her fillings are both tried-and-true favorites, such as peanut butter, coffee and coconut, as well as creative fillings such as strawberry-basil creme and spiced pumpkin cake.

Rebecca can do small orders for yourself, gift orders for friends, family or colleagues, and is open to customized orders in colors, shapes and flavors beyond what is listed on her still-developing website.

Do yourself a favor -- try these chocolates as soon as you can! They are rich, creamy, mouth-watering, and beautiful for the eye as well as the palate.

http://www.sherrysjubileedesserts.com/

Guacamole

I don't pretend this is either an authentic, or the only way to make guacamole, but as with my other Mexican inspired dishes, it gets GREAT raves.

Take 5 ripe avocados (the skin should be black, and they should be soft to a slight squeeze, but not mushy and there should be no gap between the skin and the fruit), cut them in half, remove the pits, and scoop the fruit out into a bowl.

Add the juice of 2 limes (lemons are an acceptable substitute, but I prefer limes), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 red onion diced into small pieces, and 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa. With your hands (I'm not kidding about this part -- it's the best way to do this!), start mushing the avocados and mixing in the other ingredients. I prefer my guacamole with some good avocado chunks still in it, but you can mix as much or as little as you like.

If you want it to have a bit of a kick, either use a hot salsa, or add a few shots of Tabasco sauce.

Antipasti dishes

For holidays, my Grandma Conti always put out a spread of antipasti so big and delicious, that it was amazing we had room for anything else, let alone the three additional courses that were coming! But we started early, paced ourselves, and usually left the table so full we didn't need to eat for days.

There was a great array of cheese and meats, but also lots of other dishes to snack on. Caponata was always at the table, and I posted a recipe earlier, although there are some very good pre-prepared brands of caponata, especially Progresso. Some other ideas follow. All of these dishes are best served at room temperature for maximum flavor. Make them a day ahead of time for the flavors to really soak in, and then remove from the fridge about an hour before serving.

Marinated artichoke hearts:

2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon of minced, fresh Italian parsely
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
A pinch of salt

Roasted red peppers:

1 large jar of roasted red pepper, drained and cut into bite-sized slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, very finely minced
1 tablespoon of red wine or balsamic vinegar

Marinated cannellini beans:

1 can of canellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 red onion, diced finely
1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

Other ideas for your spread include pepperoncini (the small, hot Italian peppers) and olives.

Caponata

Caponata is a delicious Sicilian eggplant relish, usually served as part of an antipasti spread. It's sweet and savory, and one of my favorite dishes. It can serve many functions other than antipasto -- I've used it as a pasta sauce, it can be part of a hearty salad, or a delicious side-dish. And it'll keep in the fridge for at least two weeks -- so make a big batch and enjoy it again and again!

1 medium sized eggplant, diced into small cubes (keep the skin on)
2 ribs of celery hearts, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of green olives, chopped (I prefer the basic cocktail olives with pimentos in them -- you don't need anything fancier or more expensive)
2 tablespoons of capers
3 tablespoons of either red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
16 ounces of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes are best)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of dried oregano

In a large saute pan, saute the celery, onion and garlic in olive oil -- don't allow them to brown, just "sweat" them until they become translucent. Once they are, add the eggplant and toss together to coat the eggplant with the oil and aromatic veggies. Then add the vinegar and toss quickly so that it distributes throughout the eggplant. Add all the rest of the ingredients, in any order you'd like. Saute on low heat, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes. It should be pretty thick, and not at all runny, when it's done.

As an antipasto or salad, this is best served at room temperature, so if you've chilled it, take it out about an hour before serving.

A few options:

Instead of using sugar, some prefer honey or a few handfuls of raisins to add sweetness.

If you REALLY hate eggplant, you can substitute 2 zucchini for the eggplant.

A friend of mine uses caponata as a sauce for her lasagna -- haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it's FABULOUS!

World's Best Chocolate Cake

Buy a can of Hershey's baking cocoa powder (not to be confused with any sort of chocolate drink mix!)

Follow the directions on the back of the can to the letter.

Viola!!!!!

Bread pudding/French toast casserole

Remember when I said I hate to bake, so I do desserts that are more about assembly, than actual baking? Here's a good one. And the best part is that it doubles as what I call French Toast Casserole for brunch (in fact, I first made this as a brunch dish, and only recently started serving it as dessert).

1 loaf of bread -- Challah is great; Italian bread too, or something similar, but nothing that's too crusty. A GREAT bread to use is one of Tasetfully Simple's beer breads --either white or whole wheat.
4 eggs (you could substitute egg beaters if you're watching your cholesterol -- you'll barely notice the difference)
2/3 cup milk (whole is best, but any kind will do)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp real vanilla extract
1/2 cup blueberries (or any berry you like, cut up into blueberry size pieces)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. butter (optional)
1 bag frozen berries (mixed, or any one kind of berry is fine)
2 tbsp. honey

Cut up the loaf of bread into bit sized cubes.

Mix the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla extract and add the bread cubes. Toss thoroughly, until the bread absorbs all the liquid.

Put this into a greased baking dish, and toss the berries on top, spreading them around. If fresh berried aren't in season, frozen ones will do fine, but defrost them first and let them drain a little so the pudding doesn't get watery.

Cover with a thin layer of brown sugar. If you want, dot butter over the top for some extra richness, but this is purely optional -- trust me, it's delicious and rich enough without it!

Cover with foil and put in the oven at 350 degrees, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until it's hot all the way through. Take off the foil for the last 10 minutes so the top gets a little crunchy, but the middle doesn't dry out.

While it's baking, put the berries into a sauce pan with the honey. (Don't waste your money on fresh berries -- you really won't notice a difference for the sauce). Simmer this on low until the berries totally break down. Stir frequently, and you can use a potato masher to help spead the process. Put the mixture into a fine, mesh strainer, and push out as much syrup as you can with a spatula or spoon.

Pour a few spoons-ful of this over each serving of the pudding.

Enjoy!!!!!

Easiest and Best Brownies Ever

I make these ALL the time -- the nephews and nieces in my husband's family worship me for them, and swear that NO ONE ELSE makes them as well as I do, even though their Mom has my secret and did the same thing for them at least once :) I've had party-goers ask if I'd share my secret -- and I giggle because I cheat so badly, but it works!

Make a box of brownie mix, following the recipe for the fudge-y textured brownies (who in their right mind likes cake-like brownies??? If you want cake, eat cake, not a brownie!!!) I generally find Pillsbury and Betty Crocker to be the best brands. Duncan Hines is OK too. Oddly enough, the more high-end brownies don't work as well -- I often find them too crumbly, and the really inexpensive store brands . . . well, they taste like the cost.

Before pouring them into a baking dish, add 1/2 of a bag of Ghiradelli chocholate chips to the mix -- I usually add milk chocolate because that's what my husband and I prefer, but there are many varieties, including white chocolate which is also delicious. There are other brands, and ones that are cheaper, and I've tried them all. Trust me -- none are better than Ghiradelli.

Pour the whole batter into a greased baking dish (cooking sprays work fine!) and then bake just as directed on the box, but set the over 25 degrees lower than suggested, and start checking them at about 5 minutes before the suggested time on the box. They are done the moment a toothpick goes into the middle and comes out mostly clean, with only a few crumbs or smidges of batter. The inside will still keep cooking as they cool so you won't have runny brownies.

There's the secret -- add really high quality chocolate chips, and underbake your brownies just a little bit. I promise, they'll be a hit everywhere you go and will take you less than 10 minutes to prepare and cut once they cool down.

One last little tip -- if you want to save some calories, you can substitute apple sauce for the oil in the brownie recipe and especially with all the chocolate chips in the mix, you'll never know the difference.

Enjoy!