I love doing cheesecakes. Even though people think they are really hard, and impressive–they are a cinch. Just a few tricks and tips will guarantee your success. Once you have the basic formula down you can change flavors and crust and topping to your heart’s content.

This brownie cheesecake was actually an accident. I was trying out a new chocolate cake recipe for Matt’s birthday party (7/24)  and the texture of the cake was not what I wanted..too dense to be cake, too dry to be brownie. What to do?

When I took it from the pans it crumbled. I grumbled. And then…

Cheesecake!

I used one and a half layers for the base of the cheesecake (cake was 8″ round, cheesecake wat 10″ round) and the leftover half I cut in chunks. I poured half the batter in over the crust, sprinkled the cake over it, and covered with the rest of the batter. I did set about 1/2 cup of crumbs aside for the top.

It was really good. There was a nice texture difference between the cheese filling and the brownie. The chocolate and vanilla combination provided a flavor variation and the white/ch0colate was a nice color variation.

Here are some tips for great cheesecake:

1. Never whip your ingredients. You want them to be dense. Always mix at low speed with paddles rather than whisks if possible.
2. Have all ingredients at room temperature.
3. Always use a bain marie (water bath) when baking.
4. Bake at a low temperature. 375 for about 45 minutes.
5. Turn oven off and leave the door closed. Leave cake in the oven for 1 hour.
6. Remove from bain marie and allow the cake to cool to room temperature before wrapping tightly and refrigerating overnight.
7. Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Chocolate Cake for Base and Brownie Chunks

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 2/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to  325F
2. Grease and flour 2 8 inch round pans
3. Beat sugar and butter until creamy
4. Add eggs one at a time
5. Add vanilla
6. Beat in cocoa
7. Add flour and milk alternately, in three parts. Begin and end with flour.
8. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool

Cheesecake

• 32 oz cream cheese (full fat)
• 16 ozs sour cream
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 eggs

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended.
2. Add vanilla
3. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition
4. Fold in the sour cream

Assembly

1. Press one layer or more of the cake in the bottom of a 9-12 inch springform. Make sure the bottom is well covered.
2. Pour in half the cheesecake mixture.
3. Add crumbled cake chunks, reserving about 1/2 cup crumbs for the top.
4. Pour over the rest of the cheesecake.
5. Cover the bottom of the springform with aluminum foil, bringing it up the sides.
6. Place pan in larger pan of hot water. Water should come halfway up the sides.
7. Bake for 45 minutes.
8. Turn oven off and leave door closed for 1 hour. Don’t PEEK!
9. Remove from oven, take out of bain marie.
10. Let come to room temperature and cover tightly.
11. Refrigerate over night.

Next day

1. Run a knife around sides to loosen
2. Remove sides of springform.
3. Glaze with ganache glaze if desired. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs.

Serves 12

images-Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Summer is hot here. We don’t use air conditioning, haven’t for the several years we have lived in this house. Frankly, it is too expensive, but I also like the idea of flowing with the seasons..experiencing them rather than manipulating them. I know..I am so weird.

Nothing is worse than cooking a hot meal in a hot kitchen and serving it in a hot dining room. That is why God made salad.

Check it out.

Who isn’t going to eat that? Colorful, cool, with a variety of flavors and textures, Chopped Salad is an awesome meal to set on the table when it is too hot to cook. I always make the tortilla chips homemade, you can by them and crumble them if you like, but if it doesn’t taste as good don’t blame me.

The only secret is trying to get most of the ingredients chopped to the same size so the flavor/texture stays balanced.

Serve this with some ice cold melon or mango, or a fresh fruit sorbet and you are good to  go.

Chopped Salad

• 1 package organic baby herb salad
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 can dark red kidney beans
• 1 can black olives, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapenos chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes chopped (I did not have any the day I made it for this image)
• 1 avocado, chopped (optional)
• 1 bunch of cilantro chopped
• 2 hard boiled eggs chopped
• 1/2 lb diced Monterey Jack cheese cubed (pepper Jack is awesome)
• 2 cups tortilla chips, tortillas cut into squares before frying
• Recipe Chipotle Vinaigrette

Mix all ingredients together and serve immediately. It looks better if you plate each salad individually and add the chips last but you can serve it family style in a big bowl.  Yes it is that easy! Serves 8

Chipotle Vinaigrette

• 4 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbs lime juice
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 1-2 tablespoons strong honey (this is always best raw and local!)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (canned, you can find it in the ethnic section of your market)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tbs fresh cilantro, minced
• kosher salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together, check seasonings and allow to stand for 30 minutes before using. Makes about 3/4 cup.

image:marye audet (c) 2009

Post from: Baking Delights

When I am looking for a dinner recipe that is quick, easy, and cheap, pizza burgers come to mind.  They come to mind when I am not looking for that kind of recipe, too, because they are just that good.

When I was growing up in Pennsylvania we used to go to this pizza place that was called Frankie and Johnny’s.  I don’t remember a whole lot about it except that the seats were blue vinyl, it smelled heavenly, and they had the best hoagies, pizza, and pizza burgers in the known universe.

One thing that you may not realize is that pizza sauce is different in different parts of the country.  I have lived on both coasts as well as in the middle, and there is no pizza sauce anywhere like what you get in the Philadelphia area.  I don’t care what anyone says.  The sauce in Texas is too bland, in Chicago it is too sweet, and in California it is too…sophisticated.  I love the heavy-oregano-sweet peppers-anise-spicy-tomato flavor of East coast pizza.

I never could replicate it just right and I never seemed to be able to find a canned sauce that was right…until I tried Newman’s Own Sockarooni Pasta Sauce.  Wow.

This is the real deal.  A lot of times if I don’t have time to make sauce this is what I use, it is perfect for pizza…and pizza burgers.

Oh yeah.  Pizza burgers. ahem…..Pizza burgers are like Sloppy Joes but not.  The sauce is a tangy pizza sauce (perfectly reproduced by the aforementioned sauce) and then you melt mozzarella over the top.  Add some chips or fries and you have an awesome, quick, easy and cheap dinner.  If you have time try serving these on homemade hamburger buns, and add garlic powder in with the salt when you are making the dough.  Yum.

Pizza Burgers

• 2 lbs of  lean ground beef, browned and drained.
• I jar Newmans Own Sockarooni Pasta Sauce
• 8 hamburger buns
• 1 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese (depends on how much cheese you like) OR 8 slices provolone

1. Pour the sauce over the cooked meat.
2. Spoon the mixture on a large hamburger bun.
3. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese or lay a slice of provolone over the top.
4. Put under the broiler just to melt the cheese.
5. Put the other half of the bun on top and eat when hot.

Serves 8

Image:Marye Audet (c)2009

Post from: Baking Delights

We call Shiloh Snickerdoodle. I am not sure why, we just always have.  Erin is Bo, Chris is Bubba, Matt is Huck (or Thoreau), Ethan is E, Shiloh is Snickerdoodle, Sean is Bud, Nick is Buddy or Big Guy, and Kyrie is Buggie-boo.  In some cases the nicknames are longer than the names.

I am not sure why I filled your brain with that bit of trivia other than I always smile when I see the word snickerdoodle.

Are you ready for autumn?  Does it amaze anyone else that maple is associated with autumn, when in actuality it is a spring flavor? But…associated with autumn it is…and these cookies are …well …really, really good. Really.

The house smells wonderful as these bake.  Try them with a cup of Starbucks Colombia Nariño Supremo.  It has an almost walnut flavor that goes really well with the maple in these.

The more intense the syrup the more intense the maple flavor will be…If you can get a grade B syrup go with that.  Happy Fall, y’all.

Maple Snickerdoodles

2 cups flour

1 1/2  teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons korinje cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons real maple syrup

1 egg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoonfuls of Korinje cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together the dry ingredients and set aside.  Sitr together the 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 tablespoon syrup and 1/2 cup brown sugar and set aside.

Cream the butter and shortening.  Add the sugar and the remaining syrup and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat well.  Stir in the dry ingredients.

Roll into balls the size of a walnut and roll the balls in the brown sugar, maple, cinnaon mixture.  Place on a silpat lined baking sheet.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cookies hsould be slightly underdone when you take them out.  You can flatten the dough with a glass bottom dipped in the sugar mixture if you like, or just let them flatten out on their own.

About 3 1/2 dozen.

Post from: Baking Delights

Summer is the time for cook-outs for sure. When you can make homemade, delicious (soft!) hot dog and hamburger buns in less than an hour why in the world would you buy them?

Did I say less than an hour? Yep!

These freeze well so you can make them ahead of time. If you have a regular baking day, or OAMC weekend make up a few batches of these for the month and freeze them for quick meals anytime.

Most of us do not consider how many chemicals we take into our bodies. We watch fats, and eat healthy, but when you are buying prepared foods, like bread, you are getting all kinds of things that are unpronounceable. Even if you are not eating organic (and I really encourage you to do so as much as you can) making your own foods will keep many chemicals out of your family’s bodies.

And just because I am on a soapbox here….

Rant:Americans, for the most part, spend the least percentage of their paycheck of anyone in the world  on groceries. We would rather have cable t.v. and a new car than high quality foods. What has happened in the last 50 years is that we have lost flavors! We are used to eating so bland that fresh foods taste too intense sometimes. You cannot buy a two week old carrot from Kroger and expect it to taste like a carrot picked fresh from your garden. You cannot buy beef that has been raised in stressful factory conditions, pumped full of hormones and antibiotics and forced to be cannibalistic, ground up and then pumped full of stuff to make it red, and expect it to taste like beef that has been pastured and allowed to be raised in a humane and ethical manner. It amazes me that people will pay 4.00 a gallon for gas so they can run to the mall and yet will gravitate toward the 1.99 a lb stuff at wal-mart. End Rant

Give these a try, even if you aren’t used to working with a yeast dough. They are super simple!

Homemade Hot Dog or Hamburger Buns

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 1/2 cups flour (unbleached, whole wheat, or a mix)
1 package instant yeast
1 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, room temperature

Heat the milk, water, honey and butter until butter is melted. Check temperature. Depending on the temperature, let cool to 120F. Carefully beat in egg.
Mix 2 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix into the milk mixture. Stir in the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition.
When the dough pulls together, (it will form a soft ball) turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. This should take about 5 minutes.
Divide dough into 12 -16 equal pieces. This will depend on the size you want for the finished bun. Shape into smooth balls, flatten slightly, and place on a silpat covered baking sheet.
Let rise for 30 to 35 minutes. When buns have almost doubled bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
If you are making hot dog buns I find it easiest to roll the dough out into a large rectangle and cut into smaller rectangles. Let rise with sides touching.

You can brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse sea salt, or whatever you like. You can add dry onion soup mix for onion rolls. These are very versatile!
Makes 12-16

Image: Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

So, how was Mother’s Day? Mine was extremely quiet and uneventful which sounds boring but was really nice! My oldest son called and we ended up chatting for over two hours. That usually does not happen but I guess we were both rather lonely for each other. He comes home the end of this month. Did I mention he comes home the end of this month? Not that I am excited. I always want to bake lots of things for him and feed him well but he is very much into grilled chicken breast/fresh green beans from the garden, gee thanks mom, I don’t want dessert. :/ He is busy creating muscles on his muscles.

Not so with my other children. The sweeter the better. Chris was always a little weird.

Did I mention he was coming home at the end of this month? ..Excited? Me? No, not at all, why do you ask?

Marc, on the other hand, has a sweet tooth the size of Alaska. Funny story…..We got married in 1980. I was rather naive about people’s eating habits because I grew up in a family where my mom did not cook, I was an only child, and I was an anorexic..I grabbed a lettuce leaf or a carrot every few days to sustain me. Marc, on the other hand, grew up eating. Lots. Snacks, cookies, pies, cakes….

SO…. we get married and I want to show my new husband that I am not just HOT I am a HOT cook. I made 6 dozen chocolate chip cookies, and a full dinner with dessert. I thought that the cookies would be a great snack for him for the week. He walked in the door and I put the platter of cookies on the coffee table and went back to finishing dinner.

When I called him for dinner he had finished half the cookies off. He then ate dinner AND dessert …and went back to finish off the cookies. My visions of being organized and planning ahead ..uh….crumbled. And that has been the way it is ever since. Cookies last no more that 1-2 hours here. Period. Leftover cake or pie? Right. You might as well hope to snow ski down the courthouse steps in downtown Dallas in July.

One of Marc’s favorite cookies is lemon bars. He likes the tangy-ness of them. When I came up with these slightly more tangy lime bars he was a happy, happy man. The secret to the taste in these is the just barely there whisper of rose-vanilla in the shortbread layer. Top these with some candied rose petals and they become impressive tea table fare.

If there are any left, which there probably won’t be..but IF, then just wrap them and keep them in the fridge.

Key Lime Bars

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp rose water flavoring
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lime peel

Powdered sugar for dusting.Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in large bowl. Add the butter, vanilla, and rosewater and cut in with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Press mixture into bottom of 9×13x2-inch baking dish that has been buttered.

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

Whisk eggs, 1 1/2 cups sugar, lime juice, 1 tablespoon flour and lime peel in medium bowl to blend. Pour into crust. Bake until mixture is set, about 20 minutes. Cool.

Cut into 24 bars.

Sift powdered sugar over top before serving.

Oh, and hey, did I mention my son was coming home the end of this month? No, I am not excited in the least…

Image:Marye Audet

Content:Marye Audet for Baking Delights

Post from: Baking Delights

Yeah, it is pretty much down to the wire, isn’t it? Whether you need a few last minute things to round out the table or you need a whole buffet of last minute appetizers we have ya covered!

Here are some quick and easy appetizer ideas

1. Run to the local store and pick up several good cheeses and some pears and apples, and maybe a pomegranate.  Slice the pears and apple thinly and lay a slice of cheese over it. Mount the pomegranate in the middle of the tray. Cut small clusters of red grapes to garnish. Serve smoked almonds.  Cheese to try?

• edam
• gouda
• dubliner
• cheshire
• Tillamook aged cheddar
•  camembert
• chevre -especially a peppered chevre..yum!
• mimolette
• manchego

For a nice pomegranate compote, check out this recipe from the California Pomegranate Council.

Holiday Pomegranate Compote

Seeds from 2 medium pomegranates, about 1-1/2 cups
1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Gently fold together pomegranate seeds and remaining ingredients.

Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Try serving that with some Carrs Water Crackers and a slice of gouda.

2. Grab a shrimp platter. Take a Carrs Cracker, put a tsp of Thai sweet/hot chili on the cracker and top with a shrimp.

3. Savory Puff Pastry Squares -made with frozen puff pastry (it takes about 20 minutes to thaw!)

4. New York Times list of 101 appetizers you can make in 20 minutes or less!

5. Melt jalapeno jelly and pour over a block of cream cheese. Serve with crackers. I am odd, but I like it with graham crackers or Lorna Doones. Something about the combo of sweet/hot/tangy

6. Fondue- Seriously you can dip anything in melted cheese and have it taste good. Steamed tiny new potatoes, pearl onions, squares of french bread, apple, pear..whatever. This cheese fondue  is another of Valli’s spectacular recipes!

7. Popcorn! Everyone likes it. Toss with a few sprinkles of taco seasoning.

8.  Make roll-ups. Take flour tortillas, spread with cream cheese, sprinkle with chopped green onion and dried cranberries, lay a slice of ham or smoked turkey over it and roll tightly. Cut on the diagonal in 3 or more pieces.

9. Fried Ravioli from Food Network starts with purchased ravioli. Rather than the marinara suggested make a

10. olive oil/garlic dip or….

11. a pesto dip.

How about a selection of foods; shrimp, chicken breast skewers, chips, tortilla chips, crudites, sliced fruit, toasted french bread, gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, even animal cookies- with dips like:

12. Chipotle Chili Black Bean Dip 

13. Chevre Dip with Lavender & Honey

14. Pumpkin Dip 

15. Mexican Cheese Dip
16 Hot Crab Dip in a Bread Round

17. Vidalia Onion Dip

If you want something more substantial try:

18.Apple Chicken Quesadillas 

19.  Olive and sun dried tomato crostini

20. Pick up some artisan bread, like black olive or sourdough, and make small sandwiches with a slice of cheese and a fresh tomato.

21 . Seriously, buy Milky Way Bars and cut into 3-4 pieces. Slide on a skewer with a slice of banana, followed by a marachino cherry.

22.  Pour a big bag of Holiday M & M’s in a crustal bowl the middle of the table. Place big pretzel rods in a bowl of vanilla icing, sticking straight up. Guests take the pretzel from the icing and roll in the M&M’s. How cool are you?

23. Chex Mix. You know you want it.

24. Make skewers of small squares chocolate cake, followed by a cherry, followed by a small ball of cream cheese rolled in chopped pecans of walnuts. Call it Unconstructed Black Forest Cake.

25.  In a pinch take a stroll through the freezer section of the grocery. There are usually all kinds of possibilities from mini cream puffs to guacamole.

Most of all..relax and have fun. Happy New Year from my house to yours!

Post from: Baking Delights