Cheesecake of the Month – May 2024!

I have always been a fan of BLTs (or anything with bacon for that matter). I have finally found a BLT cheesecake recipe (savory) that I can’t wait to try.

Savory BLT Cheesecake

Ingredients
3/4 cup of dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tablespoons of butter, melted
4 packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cups of cooked bacon, crumbled
1 cup of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, patted dry and chopped
1 cup of shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
2 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon of ground pepper
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Optional toppings: shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped cherry tomatoes, additional bacon, assorted crackers.

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Wrap your greased 9″ springform pan with aluminum foil.

2. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Press mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of your prepared pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and heavy cream until smooth. Beat in the bacon, tomatoes, Gruyere, onions, and pepper. Add the eggs; beat on low speed until just combined. Pour this mixture over your crust. Place your springform pan into a large baking pan and 1″ of boiling water to the larger pan (water bath).

4. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the center is just set and the top appears dull. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and remove the foil. Cool the cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and cool for 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

5. Remove the cheesecake from the pan and serve with toppings and crackers, if desired.

Creamy Bacon Cheese Dip

For all of you bacon-lovers out there, here is a wonderful (and quick) recipe for a dip that is sure to be a hit at your next family gathering or party.

Creamy Bacon Cheese Dip

Ingredients
6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon of dried mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
10 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded
2-3 Tablespoons of fresh parsley, minced
6 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup almonds, sliced and chopped (optional)

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.

2. Cover and refrigerate for several hours prior to serving.

Note: you can add a packet of ranch seasoning to the dip to give it a slightly different taste.

Cheesecake of the Month — April 2024!

Here is an amazing recipe that I ran across for a very hazelnutty-flavored cheesecake. Enjoy!

Ferrero Rocher Nutella Cheesecake

Ingredients:
For the crust
2-1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1 cup of Rice Krispies cereal, slightly crushed
1/2 cup of roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of Nutella hazelnut spread
For the filling
3 packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of sour cream
3/4 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of whipping cream
1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract
5 large eggs
3 Tablespoons of cornstarch
1-1/2 cups of Nutella
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate, melted
For the Ganache
1-1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup of Nutella
1 cup of whipping cream
2 Tablespoons of butter, room temperature
2/3 cup of roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
For the Garnish
1 cup of the Nutella ganache
13 Ferrero Rocher candies

Directions
To make the crust
1. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, Rice Krispies, chopped hazelnuts, and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
3. In another, smaller bowl, combine the butter and Nutella and place them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds; mix with a whisk until well combined and pour over the reserved dry ingredients. Mix until evenly combined and press the mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of your pan. Set aside.

To make the filling
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and bring about 4 cups of water to a boil; you’ll be using it later for the water bath.
5. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, whipping cream, and vanilla extract in your food processor and process until the mixture is super smooth and creamy and lump free (about 3 minutes). Stop to scrape the sides a couple of times, as needed.
6. Add the eggs, all at once, and resume processing until they are well combined. You could also throw them down the feeding tube while the motor was running, if this is easier for you.
7. Stop the motor and scrape the sides well; add the cornstarch and resume beating until it gets well incorporated (about 30 seconds).
8. Add the Nutella and melted chocolate and process one last time (about 30 seconds) until well incorporated.
9. Place the prepared pan (with the crust in it) over a piece of aluminum foil and fold the foil over the pan so the exterior is completely covered; this will prevent water from getting into the pan. Now place your pan into a broiler pan and pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust. Spread the batter evenly all the way to the edges.
10. Next, delicately pour enough boiling water into the broiler pan so it goes up about 3/4 of the way up the side of your cheesecake pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of your oven and bake the cake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Then, decrease the temperature to 250 degrees F and continue baking for a further 75 minutes.
11. Turn off the oven and crack the door open about an inch. Leave the cake in the oven undisturbed for about 1 hour, or until it is cool enough to be handled with your bare hands, and then slide it out of the oven.
12. When the cheesecake is completely cooled, run a thin spatula or knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and refrigerate uncovered for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.

To make the Nutella hazelnut ganache
13. Once your cake is completely chilled, remove it from the refrigerator, but do not remove it from the pan (yet).
14. Combine the finely chopped chocolate, Nutella, whipping cream, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave to 1 minute. Allow the mixture to rest for 1 full minute and then stir for a minute. Repeat this process one more time, heating, resting, and stirring. At this point, the ganache should be completely smooth and combined, but if there are still lumps remaining, repeat the process again, but for no longer than 20 seconds this time; continue until the ganache is smooth and silky.
15. Reserve about 1 cup of the ganache in a small bowl and place it in the refrigerator (you will want to leave it there until is has the consistency of fudgy frosting, about 3 hours — stir from time to time to check the consistency).
16. Meanwhile, add the chopped hazelnuts to the rest of the ganache and stir until well incorporated; pour over the cake and spread it evenly all the way to the edges. Return the cake to the refrigerator until the ganache is set.

Putting it all together
17. Carefully remove the sides of the cheesecake pan (but leave it on the parchment paper).
18. Put the now fudgy Nutella ganache in a pastry bag equipped with a medium open star tip and pipe twelve (12) generous swirls around the top of the cake and 1 in the center. Place a Ferraro Rocher on top of each swirl.
19. If desired (and if you have a little bit of the fudgy ganache leftover), prepare a piping cone out of parchment paper and then melt a few Tablespoons of the leftover ganache in the microwave (it should only take 3-4 seconds). Pour it into your parchment paper cone and then drizzle a little bit of this melted ganache over each Ferrero Rocher.
20. Place your now finished cake onto a cake plate; keep refrigerated until about an jour prior to serving.

Bacon Brittle!

I love peanut brittle, so when I found this recipe for bacon brittle, well, it was a no brainer that I would have to give this recipe a try. And it is not too bad at all.

Bacon Brittle

Ingredients
8 ounces of bacon, cooked
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of butter
3 Tablespoons of light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
Course sea salt (optional)

Directions
1. Chop the bacon into small bits, roughly 1/4″ pieces.

2. Butter a rimmed baking sheet (or line it with parchment).

3. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, water, butter, and syrup. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches 300 degrees F (about 10-15 mintues).

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda, then the bacon bits. Immediately pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Use a large spoon to quickly spread the brittle into a thin, even layer. (You can lightly oil the spoon to keep the brittle from sticking.) Sprinkle the brittle with sea salt, if desired.

5. Allow the brittle to cool completely, then break it into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Cheesecake of the Month — March 2024!

If you like lemon, here is a cheesecake that you are sure to enjoy.

Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups of biscotti crumbs (about 8 biscotti)
1/3 cup of butter, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, softened
2 cartons (8 ounces each) of Mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of lemon juice
3 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon of grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup of coarsely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup of boiling water
3/4 cup of cold water
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of orange marmalade
2 ounces of white baking chocolate

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine the biscotti crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan.

2. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. In a large bowl, beat the cheeses and the sugar until smooth. Beat in the lemon juice, flour, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add the eggs and beat on a low speed just until combined. Pour this mixture into your crust.

4. Return the pan to a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Cool for 30 more minutes.

5. Meanwhile, soak the apricots in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid. In a small saucepan, bring the apricots, cold water, and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 12-14 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat; stir in the marmalade and cool to room temperature.

6. Carefully spread the topping over the cheesecake and cool an additional 30 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.

7. In a microwave, melt the white chocolate; stir until smooth. Drizzle this melted chocolate over the top of the cheesecake and let stand for about 15 minutes prior to serving.

Fun Fact Friday, Number 376!

Today’s real fact (courtesy of http://www.snapple.com) is about pound cake.   Did you know that . . .

• pound cake got its name from the original recipe which called for a pound of butter? (Real Facts, #891)

Source: http://www.snapple.com

Buffalo Chicken Casserole!

If you are looking for an idea for a quick and easy meal, look no further. This recipe is a definite crowd pleaser.

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Ingredients
1 package (7.5 ounces) of Pillsbury biscuits
6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
12 ounces of chicken, cooked and shredded
1/3 cup of Frank’s hot sauce
1/4 cup of ranch dressing
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13″ x 9″ casserole pan with cooking spray.

2. Cut the biscuits into six (6) pieces each and spread them out over the bottom of your casserole dish.

3. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, ranch dressing and Frank’s sauce until combined. Slowly stir in the shredded chicken.

4. Drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto the biscuits. Be sure to cover all of the areas evenly.

5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the cheese and crumbled bacon over the top.

6. Return the casserole to the oven for 10 additional minutes to fully melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and serve.

Cheesecake of the Month — February 2024!

Every now and then you run across a creative/novel idea. This month’s cheesecake recipe is just that. For all you fans of the board game “Trivial Pursuit,” enjoy. Take your generic cheesecake recipe and dress up the top of it to resemble a Trivial Pursuit pie with the colored wedges. Brilliant!

Trivial Pursuit Cheesecake

Ingredients
2-1/2 cups of crushed vanilla wafers (about 75 wafers)
1/2 cup of butter, melted
1 vanilla bean
2 cups of sour cream
4 packages (8-ounces each) of cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups of sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tube each of blue, red, green, yellow, brown, and orange decorating gels

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine the vanilla wafers and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees F for 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

2. split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the sour cream; stir to combine and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream mixture until blended. Beat in the eggs on low speed just until combined.

3. Pour the mixture into your crust. Wrap your pan in aluminum foil and place in a larger pan. Add hot water into the larger pan (enough to go about one inch up the outside of the smaller springform pan).

4. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 1-1/2 hours or until the surface is no longer shiny and the center is almost set. Remove your pan from the water bath and cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen; cool one hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

5. Remove the sides of the pan; cut the cheesecake into six wedges. Squeeze each color of decorating get onto a different wedge and spread carefully.

Cheesy Pizza Rolls!

Here is a wonderful appetizer recipe that I ran across a couple of months ago. Enjoy!

Cheesy Pizza Rolls

Ingredients
1 pound of frozen pizza dough, thawed
1/2 cup of pasta sauce
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup of chopped pepperoni
1/2 pound of Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Minced fresh basil (optional)
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll your pizza dough into 16″ x 10″ rectangle and brush with the pasta sauce to within a half-inch of the edges.

2. Sprinkle the dough with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, sausage, and Parmesan cheese. Roll up the dough (jelly-roll style) starting with the long side. Pinch the ends to seal. Cut into eight (8) slices and place cut-side down into a greased 9″ cast-iron skillet or round baking pan.

3. Bake for 20 minutes and then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup). Bake until golden brown (an additional 5-10 minutes). If desired, sprinkle with the chopped basil and crushed red pepper flakes.

Enhanced Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies? Who doesn’t like Bailey’s Irish Cream? Well, combine the two and you have a wonderful improvement on your already wonderful chocolate chip cookie recipe (at least I would think so).

Bailey’s Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. espresso powder
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. Irish Cream Liqueur (I use Baileys because that is what we keep on hand)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and espresso powder; whisk well to combine then set aside.

2. In a separate large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) combine butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-speed. Beat until light and fluffy – about 2 minutes and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

3. Add the vanilla extract and Irish Cream Liqueur – beat until combined.

4. One at a time, beat in the eggs – after adding each egg, beat for about 15 seconds to fully incorporate the egg. Turn the mixer off.

5. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy rubber spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring only until the flour begins to disappear. Do not over mix.

6. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

7. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 2 hours before baking (if you do not need the cookies for a couple of days and are making the dough early, the dough will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days). Refrigerating the dough prior to baking helps keep the cookies thicker and chewier.

8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F) – Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. ** If the dough is in the refrigerator, set it on a counter for 5-10 minutes before forming dough balls.

9. Scoop about 3 tablespoon of dough and roll it between your palms to form a large ball (about 1/4 cup), then place on prepared sheets (make sure to leave enough room in between each cookie for inevitable spreading). Continue this process until you have shaped all the dough.

10. Place baking sheets in preheated oven, one at a time, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes – the edges should be golden brown and the center soft. Be careful not to overbake the cookies.

11. After removing from the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack.