Plum~And~Pretzel Cheesecake Pie & June's Give-Away Apron

Summer means "stone fruit" is in; peaches, plums, cherries, and nectarines.  Saturday, I made Stone Fruit Jam and had some plums leftover, so Sunday, I made this dessert.

Plums are considered one of the first domesticated fruits--they're not found in the wild! There are many species and cultivated all over the world.  I grew up with two plum trees in our backyard and helped my Mom make jam/jelly and cobblers with the produce.  This recipe combines the sweetness of plums with the saltiness of pretzels.  I also thought it went well with the main course of spinach manicotti, roasted asparagus, and kale salad--total Italian on this very warm day in the south!

Plum~And~Pretzel Cheesecake Pie
4 large plums, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 T firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 freshly ground nutmeg

In a medium bowl, toss the plums with the remaining ingredients and let stand about 45-minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees (180C).

Pretzel Crust:
2 cups of finely ground pretzels
10 T unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Grind the pretzels in a food processor, then transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the melted butter and sugar.

Press the pretzel mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and bake in the preheated oven 10 to12 minutes, until golden around the edges.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Lower oven temperature to 325F-degrees (170C).

Filling:
1 8oz. container (226g) mascarpone cheese, softened
4 oz. (113g) cream cheese, softened
2T firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 T Orange Liqueur (I used Grand Marnier
1 T Orange zest

In a bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the mascarpone, cream cheese and brown sugar together until smooth.  Add the egg, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and zest and beat until combined.

Spoon into the baked crust.

Drain the plums, reserving 1/4 cup for the glaze and arrange them on top, slightly overlapping in a circular pattern.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Glaze:
1/4 cup of reserved juices from the plums
1 T Grand Marnier
1/2 tsp. cornstarch

In a small saucepan, whisk together reserved juice, liqueur, and cornstarch.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until slightly thickened.  Brush over pie.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving or overnight.  Enjoy!

Very late on posting the apron...my apologies, but here it is.  Simply comment on any post this month and you will be entered to win this colorful, summer-like apron.  Good Luck!

Creme Brûlée Cheesecake & November's Give-Away Apron

This past week, I got to meet in person one of my blogging buddies--Ellen Haertle from "Baking with Booze" who came to stay with us for a few days.  We've talked on the phone, so it was as if we'd known each other all our lives...do you have those kind of friends too?

I wanted to create a special dessert in her honor, so I came up with this cheesecake--Creme Brûlée.  It takes two of my favorite desserts and combines it into one.  Creme Brûlée is a rich custard topped with a hard caramel.  The earliest known date of this dessert is actually 1691 in a French cookbook, "Cuisine royal et bourgeois" and was called "burnt cream."  It disappeared from cookbooks until the 1980s.  This cheesecake is rich with egg yolks and a burnt sugar topping.

Creme Brûlée Cheesecake
Crust:
2 cups firmly packed Digestive cookies, vanilla wafer, or shortbread crumbs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 T unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 300F-degrees.  In a small bowl, stir together the crumbs, sugar, melted butter and egg white.

Press crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.  Bake for 8 minutes.

Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 vanilla beans, scraped or 1 T vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks
2 T King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream

For the filling, place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and use either the whisk or paddle attachment to cream.  Slowly add the sugar and vanilla beans and beat at medium speed until creamy.  Scrape down the sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.  With the mixer running, add the yolks, one at a time.  Add the flour, beating just until combined.  Stir in the sour cream.  Spoon bater into prepared crust.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 4 hours.  Remove cheesecake from oven and run a knife around edges of the cheesecake to release the sides.  Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerator for 8 hours.

To serve--sprinkle 1/4 cup of granulated or Turbinado sugar on top of cheesecake.  Using a handheld kitchen torch, carefully caramelize sugar until melted.  Remove sides of pan.  Garnish with raspberries, if desired.  Enjoy!

This month's apron represents the colors of Autumn and is warm and inviting.  When you comment on a post this month, your name will be entered to possibly win this beautiful apron.  Good Luck!

RED ~ Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwich Cookies

The 4th of July is around the corner (yes, it's almost July!!) and I can't help thinking about all the glorious picnics we had at my parent's house.  This was probably my mother's favorite holiday; maybe because all our family and their friends came together or my dad would buy a couple of bushels of Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs for the feast--which she loved.  Anyway, for me, my memories go back to the baked goods, wonderful salads, and the softball game that followed in the field my grandfather cleared for us.

Yes, that's me (years ago!) eating crab

That's Kelly (from behind) in her "sleeping bonnet" that Grandma bought her in Williamsburg--She wanted to wear it for the patriotic occasion!

Life was much simpler then and the joy that day brought is forever etched in my mind.  We would start a day or two earlier deciding the menu and beginning to bake.  Pies, cakes, and brownies, but there were also the yeast rolls for the hot dogs and hamburgers, in case anyone didn't want to pick crabs.  Salads consisted of her famous potato salad, cole slaw, and a garden salad--fresh from my grandparents garden and my sister made her wonderful macaroni salad.

It's a day that is part of our heritage and a remembrance of all those that fought for our freedom.  In honor of the Red * White * Blue, over the next few days I'm baking to show off the colors.  Today, I'm starting with Red ~ Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwich Cookies, a recipe I've created to not only show off the color, but one of the desserts that so often appeared on the buffet table!  I found these remarkable snacks called "Just Strawberries," that are 100% natural freeze-dried strawberries to accentuate the color and the flavor to add to my cookie dough.

The cookie dough is one of my favorites (with a few changes) from my grandmother who first introduced me to "ice box cookies." Along with their cheesecake-like filling, these cookies make the perfect bite for picnics or tea parties.

Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwich Cookies
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 large egg yolks
2- 1.5 bags "Just Strawberries"
1/2 tsp. Strawberry Flavoring 
1 tsp. Vanilla Bean Extract Crush or Extract
3 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1-2 cups of Graham cracker crumbs (for rolling)


In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  
In a mini food processor, grind the freeze-dried strawberries to a powder.

With 2 bags you will get 1 cup of "powdered" strawberries.  Add to the batter, along with the strawberry flavoring and Vanilla extract.

Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the dry ingredients.  Mix just to incorporate all the flour.  Use a spatula to "pull" dough together and turn out onto a bread board to divide.

I cut my dough into fourths for ease in storing in the refrigerator.  Form each section into a 1 1/2" diameter roll.  

Place the graham cracker crumbs on a parchment lined baking sheet and roll the dough to coat the sides.  Place in plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 2 hours.  (At this point the rolls can be placed in a gallon freezer bag and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.)

 Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Use a serrated knife to slice the dough into 1/4"-cookies.  Place on the cookie sheet, about 1-inch apart and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Let rest on the pan for a few minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Cheesecake Filling
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 tsp. vanilla extract)
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup Strawberry Jam

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla bean paste together.  Add the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium to incorporate thoroughly.  Stir in the Strawberry Jam.  

I used some of my homemade Strawberry Jame

 Use either an off-set spatula or a piping bag with a #12 round tip to fill the cookies, underneath side up, then, top with a "like" size cookie.'

 The cookies, if not serve immediately, should be kept in a cool, dry place--mine are in the plastic container in the refrigerator awaiting our picnic.  You could also freeze them if desired.  This recipe easily makes about 3 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the roll.
Family picnics give us so many good memories--I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July. Enjoy! 


 

Banana~Split Cheesecake

As I looked around my kitchen for inspiration for what to bake...I espied a couple of bananas hanging from the wooden rack.  I frowned.  I didn't feel like banana bread or muffins, but if I've learned anything from my mother, it is, "you don't throw anything out."

Literally, I've made every kind of banana bread combinations known to bakers, Bundt cakes, pudding and cupcakes, so what's left?  Well, I thought...I've never made a cheesecake and, now I had a plan.  However, I soon realized from the start that I didn't have graham cracker crumbs and had to substitute a package of Biscoff cookies that I did have. (You could have also use Nabisco Vanilla Wafers.)  I had so many ideas of what could go with a banana cheesecake--salted caramel, chocolate chips, peanut butter; the list goes on, but I had just bought a flat of California strawberries and decided on a take of a banana split.

Admittedly, I had ice cream on the brain since my sister and I had just reminisced how my mother loved to go to Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor in Springfield, Virginia, and order a triple hot fudge sundae--one of her favorite desserts.  In my final presentation, I had to add hot fudge in memory of my mother ;-)

Banana~Split Cheesecake
Crust:
8.8 oz. bag Biscoff cookies
2 T granulated sugar
7 T unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees. Spray a spring form pan with a non-stick baking spray and line with a parchment round--makes for ease of presentation.
Place Biscoff cookies in a food processor and crush to fine crumbs.  You may need to use the pulse button to achieve an even crumb.

You should have about 2 cups of crumbs.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix.  Press crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan on the bottom and about 1 1/2-2 inches up on the sides.

Bake in the preheat oven about 9 minutes. I wrapped aluminum foil on the bottom and also placed the pan on a another baking sheet.  Remove and place on a rack to cool while you prepare the cheesecake.  Turn the oven down to 325F-degrees.


Cheesecake filling:
4- 8oz. pkg. Cream Cheese
2 T flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 medium bananas, peeled and mashed (should have about 1 cup puree)

1 T Vanilla + 1 Vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 tsp. Banana Flavor
4 large eggs


In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and no lumps remaining.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixture on medium to slowly add the sugar and the flour.  Scrape the sides again.  Add the vanilla, vanilla bean and banana flavoring and mix on medium once more.  Finally, turn on the mixer and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the bowl and remove the paddle attachment.


Pour into the 9-inch spring form and place on the middle rack of the oven.  Place a baking pan on the bottom shelf and add 1-inch of boiling water.  This method helps ensure your cheesecake doesn't crack in the middle.

 Bake 65 to 75 minutes until the center doesn't jiggle.  Turn oven off and crack the oven.  Let cool for about 30 minutes, then, remove to a baking rack to cool completely to room temperature.  Cover and let cheesecake chill for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.  At this point, you could also freeze it for later.

Pineapple Topping:
1 20oz. can of Pineapple tidbits in juice, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup Turbinado sugar
1 Vanilla bean, split and scraped


In a saute pan, on medium heat, place the sugar in the pan.  As it starts to melt, add the pineapple and vanilla, making sure to add in the scraped bean as well. When the mixture comes to a boil, turn down the heat to low and let the mixture cook for 30 minutes until a golden brown color occurs.  Remove the vanilla bean and transfer to a dish--refrigerate to cool.


Strawberry Topping:
2 pints of fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup Turbinado sugar
1 Vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 T cornstarch


Repeat the method as in the Pineapple Topping.  The strawberries will release more juice, so you need to make a roux to thicken.  I mixed cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water and blended to a smooth mixture.  Add to the strawberry mixture and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Remove the vanilla bean and transfer to a bowl to cool.

The hot fudge sauce I made comes from the Serendipity Sundaes book by Stephen Bruce with Sarah Key--it's one of my favorites because it doesn't have corn syrup in it which has anti-setting properties.


Fabulous Hot Fudge Sauce:

Makes about 1 1/2 cups
4 T unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped or use chips
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light cream
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. Vanilla extract


Combine the first six ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Add the vanilla and stir again.  Serve immediately or microwave 20 seconds to heat.


To assemble:
I spooned the pineapple topping in the center of the cheesecake and surrounded it with the strawberry topping.  I chilled the cheesecake once more for about 1 hour.

To plate:  I placed a ring of hot fudge around the dessert dish, then, cut a slice of cheesecake to placed it in the center.  Finally, a piping of fresh whipped cream on top finishes off the Banana~Split!


My mother would have asked for triple hot fudge with her cheesecake..."because you can never have too much chocolate." Enjoy! 

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day.  My hubby brought me pink roses, which my cat enjoyed as much as I did.  LOL!




 

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with a White Chocolate Ganache Topping

I love cheesecake and could hardly pass by the chance to create one with pumpkin as the month of October comes to an end.  My mother made the most luscious lemon glazed cheesecake and of course, I've had really good New York-style cheesecake with a berry sauce, but it was my good friend, Eric who introduced me to pumpkin.

The setting was Thanksgiving 1993 in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and we had invited a few friends to join us for the occasion.  I baked my usual pumpkin, mincemeat and pecan pies, but it was Eric's cheesecake that I fell in love with; gingersnap crust, creamy pumpkin filling and a sour cream topping.

The biggest debate over cheesecake is--is it a cake, a custard, or a torte.  Furthermore, we may think of cheesecake as a contemporary dessert, but it actually dates back to early Greece.  Moreover, what we know as cheesecake was actually created in 1872 when William Lawrence of Chester, New York, took French Neufchatel cheese and came up with a way to make it heavier and more creamy.  He distributed it in foiled wrap, which later became known as Philadelphia Cream Cheese.  In 1912, James Kraft is accredited with the pasteurized product we use today in cheesecake and to schmear on our bagels!

You could easily convert this into a whole cake in the required 9-inch springform pan, but I wanted to make the presentation, not only elegant, but in a smaller portion to allow for a taste of all those delicious baked goods we have at our Thanksgiving table or dessert buffet.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake with a White Chocolate Ganache
I found these oven-safe dessert baking cups at The Container Store, but there are also mini muffin pans with removable  bottoms that you could use or try the aluminum baking papers you can find at a grocery store.

Preheat oven to 325F-degrees.
Crust:
2 cups of gingersnap crumbs (I used 3/4 of a 1 lb. bag of cookies), crushed in a food processor or smashed using a rolling pin banging the cookies in a plastic bag.
3 T cocoa
2 T granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
5 T unsalted butter, melted

Mix the first four ingredients together, then, add the melted butter and stir with a fork until thoroughly combined.  The mixture should resemble "sand".

  Place a heaping tablespoon into each cup and use a tamper to press down.

Place the baking cups on a baking sheet--I was able to get 24 cups.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.


Pumpkin Cheesecake:
4-8oz. pkgs. of cream cheese
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 Vanilla Beans, split and scraped
2 T dark rum or bourbon (optional) Add 2 tsp. Vanilla extract instead
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. cardamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1-15oz can of pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cup)


The most important thing to remember when making cheesecake is to have the cream cheese at room temperature and soft!  No one likes to come across a chunk of cream cheese in the filling :(

I cut the cream cheese into chunks so it softens quicker.  Add the cream cheese and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, using either a paddle or whisk attachment (your choice)!  Beat for 3-5 minutes until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy.  Scrap down the sides of the bowl.
Add the vanilla beans, vanilla extract (or booze), spices and pumpkin and beat until blended.  Add the eggs, heavy cream and cornstarch and beat another minute or two. Meanwhile, have a kettle of water heating on the stove top. 


I piped the mixture into the cups, but you could carefully spoon it in also.  If you're doing a 9-inch springform size, just pour in over the crust.

Place the tray of cheesecakes in the oven on the middle rack.  Set a ll"x 7" Pyrex baking dish underneath on the bottom rack and fill 1-inch with boiling water.  

Bake cheesecakes 40 to 45 minutes*.  Turn oven off, crack the door and let the cheesecakes cool in the oven for about 30 minutes.  Remove and set aside while you make the white chocolate ganache.  (For a 10-inch springform, wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil and place in a roasting pan, fill with 1-inch of boiling water and bake 1 hour + 30 minutes to 1 hour+ 45 minutes.)

 Some of my tops cracked, but since I'm adding a white chocolate ganache, no one will ever know!


White Chocolate Ganache:
1 bag (11 or 12 oz) white chocolate chips
1/3 cup + 2 T heavy cream


Place the chips and cream in a medium bowl and microwave for 40 seconds.  Stir, then, microwave again for about 25 seconds.  Use a whisk to blend the melted chocolate and warm cream.

Use a tablespoon to "ladle" some of the ganache on top of the cheesecakes.  Pick up the cheesecakes and swirl to cover.

Let cool an additional 30 minutes, then, cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight.  Cheesecakes cake also be frozen!


Plating:
I had some leftover salted caramel from the previous recipe of cupcakes that I made, so I decided to:
1) Use a spoon to smear some caramel on the plate

2) Remove the baking paper.  I used scissors to make a cut, then, I easily peeled off the paper.

3) Whip up some heavy cream.  I added a tablespoon of dark rum to the cream, but that's optional.  You can add 1 tsp. of vanilla extract if you don't want booze!

4) Finally, I sprinkled the plate with some confectioners' sugar, drizzled more caramel over the cheesecake, then, I grated nutmeg on top of the cheesecake and whipped cream to finish the presentation.

I wish you were here to taste this little dessert...so elegant and yummy.  Happy Halloween to all. Enjoy!

*For those of you who will be baking these in a mini cheesecake pan (with removable bottoms) bake according to the package directions, which should be 16-20 minutes. In all sizes--You are looking for the cheesecake to be set on top, but may be a little "jiggly."  Remember, by leaving cheesecake in the oven, after you turn it off, it continues to bake.  Additionally, chilling several hours will provide that creamy texture desired.