Re-intro

For those of you who have been following my blog from the beginning, thanks. Life has taken over and has taken some turns, one being without a proper oven for about a year. Now that I have an oven that works and the holiday season is coming on I'll be posting a bunch more recipes, so stay tuned. Just a note, Handful is no longer with me this makes me sad. However I know she's doing fine in Santa Barbara.

Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies

I have been a little lazy lately, because money has been tight. I found a bag of frozen cranberries in the back of the freezer so I thought I'd make chicken with cranberry BBQ sauce as an experiment, but what to do with the leftover cranberries? This is what I came up with....

Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies

CRUST: One package cake style brownies, follow the directions.

TOPPING:
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
1 sm package instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 lb frozen cranberries
1/4 cup milk or cream

1. In the food processor combine frozen cranberries, sugar and lemon juice, puree
2. add cream cheese, pudding and milk
3. pure until it is almost sorbet consistency, refrigerate until brownies have cooled
4. spread cranberry mixture on brownies, then serve with whipped cream or whipped topping.

See wasn't that easy?

My cranberry BBQ sauce was just as easy, I added some pureed cranberries & sugar to a sweet BBQ sauce, a little lemon, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, catchup, a little garlic powder, and anise seed and heated it all up then served it with my George Foreman grilled chicken, yum :)

Westphalian Cheesecake

Westphalia is a provence of Germany. I had to look it up :)

Westphalian Cheesecake

1-1/2 cups cottage cheese, small curd
1/4 cup sugar. granulated
4 each eggs; large, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 tablespoon butter

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Press the cottage cheese through a sieve.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar, do not beat, then add the egg yolks and vanilla.
• Blend until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Add the cream cheese, cottage cheese and cornstarch and blend well.
• In another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks; then fold them into the cheese batter.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for about 1 hour or until the top is a golden brown.
• Leave the cake in the oven to cool for 2 hours then chill.

Spanish Cheesecake

Spanish Cheesecake

1 pound cream cheese
1-1/2 cups sugar, granulated
2 each eggs, large
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
1/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners sugar
3 tablespoon butter

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the cheese, 1 T of the butter and the sugar.
• Do not beat.
• Stir in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the cinnamon, lemon rind, flour, and salt; blend well.
• Butter the pan with the remaining 2 T of butter, using your fingers to spread the butter completely.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees,
• then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes.
• The knife should come out clean.
• Cool the cake to room temperature, then sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Caramelized Onion & Chevre Cheesecake

Caramelized Onion & Chevre Cheesecake

1 slice light rye bread
3 oz. walnuts
2 oz. butter
12 oz. mild yellow onion (1 large)
2 oz. vegetable oil
1 lb. cream cheese
1/2 lb. chevre cheese
3 eggs
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme

salt and white pepper, to taste

• Remove crust from the rye bread and dry in a 200°F oven.
• Crumble into breadcrumbs.
  Toast walnuts in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes.
• Once cool, chop nuts finely and toss with breadcrumbs.
• Butter a 9-inch springform pan and coat the inside with the crumb mixture.
  
• Peel and thinly slice onions.
• Heat oil in a sauté pan.
• Cook onions over medium heat stirring constantly until the onions turn a rich caramel brown color.
• Allow onions to cool.
  
• In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and chevre cheese together until smooth.
• Do not overwhip the cheese or the cake will crack.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each egg into the cheese mixture until thoroughly incorporated.
  
• Mince the garlic and thyme and stir into the cheese mixture.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour cheesecake mixture into the prepared pan and arrange the onions on top.
• Bake approximately 75 minutes in a 310°F oven.
• When cooled slightly, remove the sides of the pan and cut the cake into portions.
• Serve warm with crackers, chips, or fresh vegetables.

Lemon Swirl Cheesecake

Lemon Swirl Cheesecake

16 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
2 eggs
1 (9-inch) graham cracker crust
1 (15 ounce) can lemon pie filling, divided
Mint leaves or lemon twists (optional)
Whipped cream

• Mix together cream cheese, sugar and lemon extract until smooth and creamy.
• Add eggs and mix well.
• Pour into prepared crust.
• Spoon about 1/2 can pie filling on top and gently swirl with a wooden pick or knife.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until center is set.
• Cool to room temperature and refrigerate.
• Garnish with mint leaves or lemon twists if desired.
  
• Serve with remaining pie filling and whipped cream.

Kalamata Olive Cheesecake

Kalamata Olive Cheesecake

1 1/4 cups Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup very finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened1
(8-ounce) carton sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg1 egg yolk
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced or chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Garnishes: fresh rosemary sprigs, kalamata olives

• Combine first 3 ingredients; stir well.
• Press crumb mixture firmly into a lightly greased, foil-lined 9" square pan.
• Bake at 350° for 12 minutes.
• Set aside to cool.
• Beat cream cheese, sour cream, flour, and seasonings at medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth.
• Add egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating just until blended.
• Stir in sliced olives and chopped rosemary; pour filling into baked crust.
• Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or just until firm.
• Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
• Cover and chill.
• To serve, lift foil out of pan, and cut cheesecake into squares.