Chocolate sauce

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• 2 -- 1 oz squares chocolate, melted
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix chocolate in water. When slightly thickened, add sugar. Allow to cool and add vanilla.

 

Marinated vegetables

• 1 can whole corn, drained
• 1 can french cut green beans, drained
• 1 can small peas, drained
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely sliced
• 1 sm jar pimentos, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp celery seed

heat together oil, vinegar, sugar, water, salt & pepper, and celery seed, just hot enough to dissolve sugar. Pour over vegetables, stir to coat all vegetables. Marinate 24 hours before serving. Will keep in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

 

Mounds Cheesecake

Crust:

• 2 cups graham crackers or oreos, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups coconut
• 6 Tablespoons Butter melted

mix and pat into 10" springform pan, set aside.

Filling:

• 2 lbs Cream cheese, unwrapped.
• 5 Jumbo eggs (or 6 large)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1 cup almonds, coarsly chopped

1. Soften cream cheese in microwave for 2 min. on high. Beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add sugar and beat again.
3. Crack eggs into a small bowl, warm in microwave 25 sec on high and add one at a time, beating after each one.
4. Add cream, cornstarch, and extract.
5. Mix well. Stir in nuts Pour into the prepared pan.
6. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
7. Then reduce temperature to 300 degrees and bake one hour.
8. Run knife around edge of cake and cool.
9. Top with melted chocolate, whole almonds and garnish with coconut

Notes:

1. It is necessary to run the knife around the edge of the cake because it will pull further away from the edge as it cools. If any piece is stuck it will cause your cheesecake to crack.
2. Put a pan of water on the lowest rack in the oven. (do not put on the bottom of the oven if it is a self contained unit because it may melt) This will provide enough moisture that your cheesecake will not crack while baking.

 

Plain Cheesecake

Crust:

• 1 1/2 pkgs graham crackers, crushed
• 6 Tablespoons Butter melted
• 1/3 cup sugar

mix and pat into 10" springform pan, set aside.

Filling:

• 2 lbs Cream cheese, unwrapped.
• 5 Jumbo eggs (or 6 large)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Soften cream cheese in microwave for 2 min. on high. Beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add sugar and beat again.
3. Crack eggs into a small bowl, warm in microwave 25 sec on high and add one at a time, beating after each one.
4. Add cream, cornstarch, and vanilla.
5. Mix well. Pour into the prepared pan.
6. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
7. Then reduce temperature to 250 degrees and bake one hour.
8. Run knife around edge of cake and cool.

Notes:

1. It is necessary to run the knife around the edge of the cake because it will pull further away from the edge as it cools. If any piece is stuck it will cause your cheesecake to crack.
2. Put a pan of water on the lowest rack in the oven. (do not put on the bottom of the oven if it is a self contained unit because it may melt) This will provide enough moisture that your cheesecake will not crack while baking.
3. You may chop up and add any sort of fruit, or candy to the cake but it must be chopped into small pieces especially if it is something heavy or it will fall to the bottom while baking.
4. You can also add in fruit puree, pie filling, melted chocolate, caramel or what ever wet ingredient you wish as long as it if not heavy. It is recommended that sauces be mixed with a small amount of the cake batter and then swirled back into the rest of the cake - you can use a knife to marble it more. (With pie filling, if it is large pieces as in apple, chop for a few seconds in food processor to break up apples.)
5. You can add anything you like to the cheesecake once it's baked - pie filling, melted chocolate drizzled on top, miniature candies.
6. Another way to enjoy Cheesecake is to serve the cheesecake plain for multiple guests, and put out bowls of toppings to let each guest decide how he or she wants their cheesecake.

 

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Crust:

• 1 1/2 pkgs graham crackers, crushed
• 6 Tablespoons Butter melted
• 1/3 cup sugar

mix and pat into 10" springform pan, set aside.

Filling:

• 2 lbs Cream cheese, unwrapped and softened in microwave for 2 min. on high.
• 5 Jumbo eggs, shelled and warmed in microwave 25 sec on high
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 8 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

Beat cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat again. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add cream, cornstarch, and vanilla. Mix well. Fold in candy by hand. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 250 degrees and bake one hour. Run knife around edge of cake and cool. Top with melted chocolate drizzled over cake and miniature peanut butter cups.

©Ann Raisler

 

Churros con Chocolate

Churros

Here's the ultimate recipe to make your own churros at home, just like they were at the churrería stands. Of course, the difference here is price. Here you can make a whole batch for what is cost for a few. Once you make the churros, you can make the authentic chocolate dip to dunk them in.

Ingredients:
Vegetable or Olive Oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Prepare to fry the churros by heating oil in a pan (1 to 1&1/2 inches) to 360 degrees F.

To make churro dough, heat water, margarine and salt to rolling boil in 3-quart saucepan; stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Beat eggs all at once; continue beating until smooth and then add to saucepan while stirring mixture.

Spoon mixture into cake decorators' tube with large star tip (like the kind use to decorate cakes). Squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. (Mix Sugar and the optional cinnamon); roll churros in sugar or dump the sugar on the pile of churros, like the pros. That churro taste will take you right back to your favorite summer days walking the paseos of Spain.

Note: REAL churros in Spain are made without cinnamon mixed with the sugar, but the cinnamon adds an extra nice flavor.

Chocolate for Churro Dunking

4oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 3/4 pint milk
1 tbsp cornstarch (also known as cornflour and is the powder that causes the thickening)
4 tbsp sugar

Place the chocolate and half the milk in a pan and heat, sturing, until the chocolate has melted. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about five minutes. Remove and whisk smooth. Pour and server in cups or bowls for dunking churros. Do not pour over churros, but use the mix for dunking churros after every bite. Served warm.

Salad with punch!

BLT Pasta salad