Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Crust

1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate wafer cookies
Pinch kosher salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, melted

Filling

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/3 cup raspberry preserves
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice



Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 11 x 7 inch pan.
Stir together crushed cookies, salt and melted butter. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Beat cream cheese for 2-3 minutes until softened and fluffy. Add in sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in eggs and extracts on low speed until incorporated, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as necessary. Pour batter into pan. Use an offset spatula to spread evenly.

In a small bowl, stir preserves and lemon juice together until preserves have loosened. Place into a piping bag or freezer zip top bag. Snip corner pipe lines onto batter. Use a knife or offset spatula to swirl preserves lightly.

Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes, or until set. The bars will still jiggle a bit when pan is shaken, but should not be wet.
Cool on a wire cooling rack until cooled, then cover and transfer to refrigerator for at least one hour before cutting and serving.

homemade Mounds Bars and Almond Joy Bars

Mounds Bars and Almond Joy Bars

5 oz can sweetened condensed milk 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
2 cups powdered sugar 
14 oz package premium shredded flaked coconut
24 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips.

In a mixing bowl, blend the condensed milk and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar to the mixture a little bit at a time, stirring until smooth. Stir in the coconut; the mixture should be firm. Pat the mixture firmly into a greased 9X13X2 inch pan. Chill in the refrigerator until firm.

In a double boiler over hot water (not boiling), melt the chocolate, stirring often. (You may also use a microwave oven: place the chips in a bowl and heat for one minute on high, stir, then heat for 1 more minute).

Remove the coconut mixture from the refrigerator and cut into 1X2 inch bars. Set each coconut bar onto a fork and dip into the chocolate. Tap fork against the side of the pan or bowl to remove excess chocolate. Air dry at room temperature on waxed paper. This could take several hours, but chocolate sets best at cool room temperature (below 70 degrees). You may speed up the process by placing the bars in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Variation:

Almond Joy

Add 1 cup dry roasted almonds to the list of ingredients. Substitute milk chocolate chips for semi-sweet chocolate. Place two almonds atop each bar before dipping in chocolate. Makes about 3 dozen bars.

Holiday Rum Balls

Holiday Rum Balls

2-1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 75 wafers)
1 cup ground pecans
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking cocoa
1/4 cup rum
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons water
Additional confectioners' sugar and/or crushed vanilla wafers

In a large bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, pecans, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Combine the rum, honey and water; stir into crumb mixture. Shape into 1-in. balls. Roll in additional confectioners' sugar and/or wafer crumbs. Store in an airtight container. Makes 3-1/2 dozen.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300°F. In medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well, set aside.

In a large bowl with a mixer blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to until it forms a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until fully combined. Add the flour mixture, macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips, and blend on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Move immediately to cooling rack.

Enchilada Bubble Bake

Enchilada Bubble Bake

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef (or ground turkey)
2 cans (7.5 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated biscuits 
1 can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained 
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish or pan with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Drain, if necessary. Meanwhile, separate each can of dough into 10 biscuits. With pizza cutter, cut each biscuit into quarters. In large bowl, stir together beef, beans, enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Stir in biscuit pieces. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish.

Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Add a dollop of sour cream to the top of each serving, if desired.

Fresh Doughnuts

Homemade Fresh Doughnuts

1 cup sugar 
1 Tbsp nutmeg 
1 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 Tbsp shortening
1 cup sour milk
6 cups flour

Mix sugar, nutmeg, soda, salt, eggs, milk and shortening. Add enough flour to roll out dough on a floured surface and cut with doughnut cutter. Heat shortening to 375 degrees F. and drop doughnuts in, turning several times. Drain on soft crumpled paper. Cool and dust with powdered sugar, or granulated sugar and or with cinnamon, or drizzle with glaze (see below) if desired. Repeat with doughnut centers.

Note: milk can be soured by adding 1 Tbsp vinegar to 1 cup fresh milk.

White Doughnut Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 to 6 Tbsp milk

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla and milk with a fork to desired consistency. Thicken with powdered sugar or thin down with milk.

Cinnamon Rolls

Delightful  Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup warm water 
2 pkg. active dry yeast 
1 cup warm milk
1 tsp + 2/3 + 1 1/2 + 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
2/3 + 1/2 + 1/2 + 2/3 cups butter, melted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
8 cups flour
3 Tbsp cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp hot water
walnuts

In a small bowl mix together warm water, yeast, and 1 tsp sugar and set aside. In a large bowl, mix milk, 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup melted butter, salt, and eggs, stir well and add to yeast mixture. Add half the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is slightly stiff (dough will be sticky). Turn onto well floured board and knead 5-10 minutes. Place in well buttered bowl, cover and let rise in warm place, free from drafts, until double in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When doubled, punch down dough and let rest 5 minutes.

Roll onto floured surface into a 15X20 rectangle. Spread dough with 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar and cinnamon, next sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts, and roll up jellyroll-fashion and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices. Coat bottom of 9X13 and 8" square baking pans with 1/2 cup melted butter, next sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pans. Let rise in warm place until dough is doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until rolls are nicely browned. Cool rolls slightly.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix 2/3 cup melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add hot water 1 Tbsp at a time until glaze reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls and serve warm. Makes 12 to 15 large cinnamon rolls.