Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely ground graham crackers (see notes)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 6 ounces raspberries
• 32 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• Boiling water, for roasting pan
• 
  
• Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan (including base) in a double layer of foil; set aside.

2. Stir together cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. Process raspberries in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pass puree through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar, and set aside. (If you like your raspberries a little more tart then half the sugar or leave it out completely. I have done it both ways and both work very nicely.)

4. Put cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a slow, steady stream. Add salt and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each until just combined (do not overmix). Pour cream cheese filling over crust.

5. Drop raspberry sauce by the teaspoon on top. With a wooden skewer or toothpick (I used the handle of a spoon), swirl sauce into filling.

6. Set cake pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven. Carefully ladle boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes.

7. Transfer cake pan to rack; let cake cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, 6 hours or overnight. Before unmolding, run a knife around edge of cake.

   Note:When I made this I didn't have time to make my own crust. So instead of making my own I bought a pre-made one from the store. If you do this, be sure to get one 10-inch crust and one 9-inch crust because this recipe was intended to be made with an actual cheesecake pan which is a lot deeper than a pre-made graham cracker crust. Because of this, there will be enough of the filling to fill the two crusts.

   Note: I didn't have a pan that was big enough to put the two crusts in and ladle the water into when I used pre-made crusts. So I altered the recipe and didn't do the thing with the boiling water in the roasting pan in the oven. I just cooked the cheesecakes at a lower temperature for longer and it worked just fine. I cooked them between 250 and 275 degrees F for closer to an hour and a half and it worked very well. I would say that it even turned out just as good as it did when done the way the recipe states, and it's easier too. I recommend this option to cooks with less experience making this recipe for the first time.

   
   

   This cheesecake turns out beautifully! It isn't too hard to make and is always a hit. The picture above is one that I made myself and it looks (and tasted) professional! Love it!

   Happy Baking! :)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons white sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In medium bowl, Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In large bowl stir in milk, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients to large bowl; beat well. Add chocolate chips, stir well.
3. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle muffins with sugar.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 
  
• Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Divine Inside Out German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

For cake layers:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup boiling-hot water

For Filling:
Two Tubs of Betty Crocker German Chocolate Cake Frosting

For Glaze:
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
10 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Special Equipment: Three 8" or 9" rounds, either size works fine.

To Prepare

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 350°F and oil cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together whole milk, butter, whole egg, yolk, vanilla, and almond extract in another large bowl until just combined. Beat egg mixture into flour mixture with an electric mixer on low speed, then beat on high speed 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and beat in water until just combined (batter will be thin). Divide batter among cake pans (about 1 1/2 cups per pan) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans and rotating them 180 degrees halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes total.

Cool layers in pans on racks 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment or wax paper and cool layers completely.

Make glaze:
Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate and corn syrup, whisking until chocolate is melted. Transfer 1 cup glaze to a bowl, reserving remaining glaze at room temperature in pan. Chill glaze in bowl, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.

Assemble cake:
Put 1 cake layer on a rack set over a baking pan (to catch excess glaze). Drop coconut filling by spoonfuls evenly over layer and gently spread with a wet spatula. Top with another cake layer and spread with remaining filling in same manner. Top with remaining cake layer and spread chilled glaze evenly over top and side of cake. Heat reserved glaze in pan over low heat, stirring, until glossy and pourable, about 1 minute. Pour glaze evenly over top of cake, making sure it coats sides. Shake rack gently to smooth glaze.

Chill cake until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer cake to a plate.

Easy Chicken and Rice Bake

You Need:
1 can          Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup          Water
3/4 c           Uncooked Rice
1/4 tsp        Paprika
1/4 tsp        Ground Pepper
4                Skinless, boneless chicken breasts


To Make:
Combine soup, water, rice, paprika and pepper in casserole dish. Top with chicken. Season with additional paprika and pepper. Cover with tinfoil and cook in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and rice is tender. 

For Emily: Silver White Cake with Chocolate Chips

Something special for a special someone :) Hope you like it!

You Need:

2 1/4 cups       all purpose flour

1 2/3 cups       sugar

2/3 cup           shortening

1 1/4 cups       milk

3 1/2 tsp         baking powder

1 tsp               salt

1 tsp               vanilla or almond extract

5                    large egg whites

1/2 cup           semisweet chocolate chips

What to Do:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease  13x9 inch pan (this works best but you can also use two round 9 inch pans or three round 8 inch pans) with shortening and lightly flour. 

In a large bowl, beat together all the ingredients except for the egg whites until mostly mixed. Beat in egg whites, scrape the side of the bowl occasionally. Beat until smooth. 

Gently fold in chocolate chips. 

Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with chocolate chips if desired. Bake at 350 F for 40 to 45*  minutes for 13x9 pan or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For 9 inch pans bake for 30-35 min and 8 inch pans 23-28 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Let cool for at least an hour before frosting.** 

*Note: When I made this I used a 13x9 pan and ended up cooking it for only about 25 min. It would be wise to check your cake at this time as the time could vary depending on what rack you cook your cake on and where you live. 

**Note: I did not frost this cake when I made it. It is VERY GOOD without frosting :) However, of you would like to frost your cake, a white frosting would be great on it. 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

You Need:

3 cups            powdered sugar

1/3 cup           butter or margarine (softened)

1 1/2 tsp         vanilla

1-2 Tbs           milk

What to Do:

Mix powered sugar and butter. Add vanilla and 1/2 Tbs milk. Gradually beat in enough milk to make the frosting spreadable. If frosting is too thick then you need more milk. If frosting is too thin then too much milk has been added. This can be corrected by adding a little powdered sugar in small quantities. 

Beat until smooth. Frost cake using plastic spatula. 

Scrumptious Smoothie

You Need:

I can            Frozen Bacardi Pina Colada juice concentrate

2-2 1/2 c      Ice Cubes

1 small can  Dole Tropical Fruit Cocktail

To Make:

Put it all in a blender. Ice first then the rest. Blend to desired consistency. Chill in freezer for no more than 30 min before serving. 

Enjoy!