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

The best blogs begin with sugar

Here are some really good blogs to give you a sugar buzz.

BraveTart  ( BraveTart's Serious Eats profile )

SheKnows Explorer

Cupcake Project

Really goood food blog

http://masak-masak.blogspot.com/

Found it hunting for Burfi (barfi) recipes

Raspberry Mega Scones Recipe - 101 Cookbooks

This particular scone recipe lends itself to endless combinations. I used raspberry jam here because of its color and flavor, but use whatever you have on hand - the chunkier the better. If you can't be bothered with making the glaze, just sprinkle some coarse raw sugar over the scone before baking after brushing with a bit of cream.

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
3 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups half-and-half ( or you can also use heavy cream or whole milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one lemon

2/3 cups raspberry preserves

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Using a food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles little pebbles in a beach of sandy flour (about 20 quick pulses). You can also cut the butter in using a knife and fork. Pulse in the sugar. Now add the half-and-half, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Pulse (or mix until) dough just comes together - don't over mix, but if the batter is too dry add more cream a bit at a time.

Turn out onto a floured piece of parchment paper or Silpat mat, divide into two equal sized pieces of dough and set one aside. Take the first piece of dough and roll out into (roughly) a 9x9 inch square, 1/2-inch thick. You want to keep the dough from sticking to the mat/paper if possible, so sprinkle with more flour if needed. Slather the slab of dough with the jam and fold the left side of the dough in toward the center. To discourage the dough from breaking or falling apart I fold it in by folding the Silpat in and then peeling the Silpat back afterwards. Fold the other side in using the same technique. Slide onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the other piece of dough. The two scones will fit on one baking sheet but give them a few inches between each other so they don't bake into each other. Brush with a bit of cream (optional), and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden where the scones touch the pan.

While the scones are baking, prepare the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Stir until well combined, and set aside. When the scones come out of the oven brush them generously with the glaze and let cool. Slice into pieces as big or small as you like.

Makes two mega scones.

Jif® Peanut Butter Fudge

Jif® Peanut Butter Fudge

Yields: 48 servings

INGREDIENTS:
Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup PET® Evaporated Milk
1 2/3 cups Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
1. Line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan with aluminum foil and then spray with a no-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine sugar, butter and milk in large saucepan, stirring constantly on medium heat, until mixture comes to a boil.
3. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
4. Add peanut butter. Stir until well blended. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
5. Spread in prepared pan. Cool.
6. Cut into candy-sized pieces. Store in covered container.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2007 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 12/17/2007"

Recipe: Peanut Butter Crisscrosses (using orange juice)

PEANUT BUTTER CRISSCROSSES

These are the best Peanut Butter Cookie I have ever had.

2 cups sifted regular flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup orange juice

1. Measure flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a sifter.
2. In a large bowl, cream shortening and peanut butter with brown and granulated sugars until fluffy
3. beat in egg.
4. Sift in flour mixture, adding alternately with the orange juice and blending well to make stiff dough.
5. Chill until firm enough to handle.
6. Roll dough, a teaspoon at a time, into balls; place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten balls crisscross fashion with a fork.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until golden."

Kai pu khao ("volcano chicken")

Kai pu khao ("volcano chicken")

Yield: 4 Servings

1 whole Chicken; about 2 pounds or a little more

Marinade:
2 tablespoon Kratiem (garlic); minced
½ teaspoon Prik thai (black pepper); freshly ground
¼ cup Fish sauce
¼ cup Whiskey
¼ cup Honey
¼ cup Coconut milk
1 tablespoon Red curry paste
2 tablespoon Nam prik pao (black chili paste in oil)
1 cup Whiskey for flambeeing

An explanation of volcano chicken -- When the chicken is stood vertically on the plate and ignited the flames coming from the open body cavity resemble the eruption of a volcano... Hence the name.

Mix the marinade ingredients, then clean and prepare the chicken, and thoroughly coat with the marinade, and leave to stand in a wok for 12 hours.

Remove the chicken from the wok, allowing to drain thoroughly, then over medium heat reduce the marinade to form a thick sauce.

The chicken should be stood upright on an oven proof plate (in Thailand a metal disk with a vertical peg attached is used. Something similar is sold as a "chicken roaster" in America and Europe I believe), and cooked in a medium oven until the skin just begins to change color.

Remove the chicken and place it on a flame proof but table-ready plate and bring to the table.

Pour whiskey through the interior of the bird, and then ladle it over the outside so the bird is thoroughly coated, then ignite and allow the whiskey to burn itself out.

Carve the chicken, and serve with khao suay (steamed white [jasmine] rice), and stir fried green vegetables, and the usual Thai condiments and the reduced sauce.

Mumrez Khan’s Lamb and Spinach Karahi curry

This is the recipe for Mumrez Khan’s Lamb and Spinach Karahi curry recipe from Rick Stein’s “Food Heroes” series. This is the only curry recipe you will ever need. Serves 4)

The Ingredients

250g (9oz) Ghee/Clarified Butter
3 tablespoons Fresh Coriander (chopped)
65g (2 1/2oz) Garlic
1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric
1 tablespoon Red Chili Powder
350g (12oz) Fresh Spinach washed with large stalks removed
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
4 medium sized Green Chillies with stalks removed
1 tablespoon Paprika
½ tablespoon Gharam Masala
550g (1 1/4lb) Onions Chopped
1 x 400g (140z) Can Chopped Toms
50g (2oz) Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon Salt
900g (2lb) Boneless leg or shoulder of Lamb (1½ in) cubes
1 tablespoon Ground Coriander
120ml (4fl oz) water
A pinch of ground cumin and freshly ground black pepper to serve

How to Cook

1. Heat the ghee in a large, heavy based pan. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat, stirring now and then, for 20 minutes until they are soft and a light brown

2. Put the tomatoes, water, ginger and garlic into a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Remove the fried onions with a slotted spoon, add them to the paste and blend briefly until smooth.

3. Return the puree to the ghee left in the pan and add the lamb and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, by which time the lamb will be half cooked and the sauce will be well reduced. Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, paprika and ground coriander and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes for shoulder or 45-1 hour for leg, until the lamb is tender, adding a little water now and then if the sauce starts to stick.

4. Meanwhile, put 175g (6oz) of the spinach leaves into a large pan and cook until it has wilted down into the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then transfer to the rinsed out liquidizer and blend to a smooth puree. Set aside. Rinse out the liquidiser again and add the green chillies and 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Set aside.

5. When the lamb is cooked, there should be a layer of ghee floating on the top of the curry. You can either skim it off or leave it there, whichever you prefer (LEAVE IT). Then stir in the spinach puree and the remaining spinach leaves and cook for 2 minutes.

6. Now taste the curry and add as much green chili puree as you wish, according to how hot you like your curries (ALL OF IT). Simmer for 2 minutes more.

7. Stir in the fresh coriander and Gharam Masala. Transfer the curry to a serving dish and sprinkle with a little more ground cumin and some freshly ground black pepper just before you take it to the table.

Serve with your choice of rice, Naan breads, poppadoms and whatever else you can cram in. It may not look pretty but it is delicious, and even better on day 2!!!!

Welcome!

This blog is for recipes I've found and those I've created.