Company Dessert

Here are some great dessert recipes. I love to cook and especially bake. Which is partly why I need to focus on healthy eating this year! (If you read that post, be sure to read the comments too, they're very good.) But fellowship with friends calls for something special and these desserts are some of my family's favorites.

Peach or Apple Crisp
Mix until blended and crumbly:
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oats

Fill your pie pan with either fresh apples, fresh peaches, canned apples or peaches or the best- left over baked apples. Spice your apples or peaches with a little cinnamon sugar and cloves. Top with the crumbly mixture. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until done.

French Berry Glace' Pie
1-1/2 quarts of your favorite berry or mix of berries (I've even used frozen)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 pkg cream cheese softened
1 pie shell (either baked or gram cracker)

Simmer 1 cup of berries and 2/3 cup water about 3 minutes. Blend sugar, cornstarch and remaining 1/3 cup water. Add to fruit mix and boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Cool.

Spread cream cheese mixture over bottom of pie shell. Save 1/2 cup of nice looking berries for top. Put remaining berries in pie shell. Cover with cooked mixture and garnish with saved berries. Refrigerate until firm (2 hrs.)

If you use frozen berries, add them all at once to the cooked berry mixture and dump in pie shell. It may take a bit longer to set.

Darn Good Chocolate Cake

1 package devil's food chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup oil

Blend on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl then blend 2-3 minutes on medium speed.

Fold in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Pour into greased and floured bunt pan and bake45-50 minutes.
(From the Cake Doctor)

Apple Pecan Pie
Unbaked 9" Pie shell
Sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped pecans over the shell and set aside

Combine:
6 cups sliced peeled apples
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Pour apple mixture into pie shell and add topping.

Topping:
Mix 1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
then stir in 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Bake pie at 425 for 45 minutes.

Moosewood Fudge Brownies
1/2 cup butter
3 squares (1 ox each) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour

In a heavy pot, melt butter and chocolate. Add brown sugar and vanilla and mix. Add eggs and beat. Stir in flour and mix until thoroughly blended and smooth.

Pour into 8 or 9 inch baking pan and bake 20 minutes at 350.

Three Cities of Spain Cheesecake
For crust:
1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt

For Filling:
Three 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened (it should be soft enough to whip)
4 eggs, beaten lightly
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar

For Topping:
16 oz container Daisy brand sour cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Make Crust:
Stir together crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle 1/2 of crumbs along the rim and pressing along the sides evenly about 1 1/4 inches up side. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 over bottom and press evenly over bottom, joining edge.

Make filling and bake cake:
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.
Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken. Let stand in baking pan on a rack 5 minutes. Leave oven on.

Make topping:
Stir together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls of topping around edge of cake and spread gently over center, smoothing evenly. Bake cake with topping 10 minutes.

Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.) Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side from pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving. (From Gourmet 1999)

Chocolate - Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 cups fresh or frozen loose-pack raspberries, thawed
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
3 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (6 oz.), melted and cooled


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For crust, combine crushed crackers and powdered sugar; stir in melted butter. Press onto bottom and about 2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

In a small bowl stir together 1 cup of the raspberries and the granulated sugar. Set aside.

For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and condensed milk with an electric mixer until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat just until combined. Divide batter in half. Stir melted chocolate into half of the batter. Pour chocolate batter into crust-lined pan. Stir raspberry-sugar mixture into remaining batter. Spoon raspberry batter over chocolate batter.

Place pan on a shallow baking pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until center appears nearly set when pan is gently shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan; cool cake completely. Cover; chill at least 4 hours. Serve with remaining raspberries. Makes 16 servings.
(from Better Homes and Gardens- all the links are from their web site)

Chocolate Italian Cake
One recipe of HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake and Frosting
8 oz package of cream cheese
powdered sugar
vanilla
chocolate chips
Triple Sec Orange Liquor or Grand Mariner

Bake the cake. While still warm sprinkle a couple of cap full of the orange liquor over each layer.

Beat the cream cheese with about 2 tsp. vanilla and about 1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar. (To taste. This is not frosting, just sweetened cheese)

When the cake layers are cool, spread the cream cheese over the top of the first layer. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top to cover completely. Add the next layer and frost with chocolate frosting.
(My mom made up this recipe after visiting Italy and tasting something similar over there. Thus the name.)

Cappuccino-Fudge Cheesecake

Be sure to make this dessert at least one day ahead to allow the flavors to blend.
Servings: Makes 12 servings.

Ingredients:
Crust 1 9-ounce box chocolate wafer cookies
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7 tablespoons hot melted unsalted butter

Ganache:
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
20 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use dark chocolate chips)
1/4 cup Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur

Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature1
1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or coffee crystals
2 tablespoons ground whole espresso coffee beans (medium-coarse grind)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
4 large eggs

Topping
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Espresso coffee beans (optional)

Preparation
For crust: Finely grind cookies, chopped chocolate, brown sugar, and nutmeg in processor. Add butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together, scraping down bowl occasionally, about 1 minute. Transfer crumbs to 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Wrap plastic wrap around fingers and press crumb mixture firmly up sides to within 1/2 inch of top edge, then over bottom of pan.

For ganache: Bring whipping cream to simmer in large saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and Kahlúa. Whisk until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth. Pour 2 cups ganache over bottom of crust. Freeze until ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Reserve remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature to use later for creating lattice pattern.

For filling: Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in flour. Stir rum, espresso powder, ground coffee, vanilla, and molasses in small bowl until instant coffee dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

Pour filling over cold ganache in crust. Place cheesecake on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until top is brown, puffed and cracked at edges, and center 2 inches moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Cool 15 minutes while preparing topping (top of cheesecake will fall slightly). Maintain oven temperature.

For topping: Whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour topping over hot cheesecake, spreading to cover filling completely. Bake until topping is set, about 10 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Refrigerate hot cheesecake on rack until cool, about 3 hours.

Run small sharp knife between crust and pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Spoon reserved ganache into pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe 6 diagonal lines atop cheesecake, spacing 1 inch apart. Repeat in opposite direction, making lattice. Pipe rosettes of ganache around top edge of cake. Garnish with coffee beans, if desired. Chill until lattice is firm, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Wrap loosely in foil, forming dome over lattice; keep chilled.)