Karin's Berry Torte

My kids liked this better than my regular cheesecake. We had it for Dad's birthday.

For 2 storebought crusts, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend in blender:
4 eggs
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
Pour in crusts. Bake 30 min. and let cool.

While that's cooling, combine these in a saucepan and boil over medium-high heat:
16 oz package frozen berries (but reserve about 1/4 of the package for later)
1/8 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/6 cup sugar (I'm halving it, so 1/4 or 1/8 cup depending on what kind of berries you're using/how sweet they are)
Once thickened, take off heat and add the reserved frozen berries to cool it.

Put the berry topping over the cheesecake layer and chill.

Serve with whipped cream or cool whip.




Here's a blueberry one that I'm taking from a friend:

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

Crumb Crust:
9 large rectangular graham crackers (about 1 1/2 cups) crushed (My food processor makes crushing crackers so easy!)
2 TBSP sugar
6 TBSP melter butter

For the cheese custard:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
Freshly grated zest from 1 lemon

For the berries:
2 cups blueberries, rinsed (you could also use frozen ones, a staple in my freezer)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 TBSP corn starch, mixed with 2 TBSP cold water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, sugar and butter.  Pat the crumb mixture into a 9 inch pie pan and bake for 8 minutes, until very lightly browned and set.  Let the crust cool completely before filling.  Leave the oven on.

Meanwhile, make the cheese custard:  in a medium bow,, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed and smooth.  Add the eggs and beat well.  Stir in the lemon zest.  Pour into the cooled shell and bake until just set, 25-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

While the custard is cooking, combine the berries, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and add the cornstarch mixture.  Return to a boil and cook for one minute, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened.  Remove from the heat and cool until tepid.


Spoon the berries over the cooled custard.  Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

This is almost exactly like Dad's coffeecake he used to make on Christmas morning. It makes for a fun birthday breakfast. Next time I'm halving it for my family in a smaller pan to have along with eggs. It's a lot of sugar!

This morning my kids asked first for the corners of this cake. I splurged big time the other day and bought this pan. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm planning to try making many things in it, and it has so many edges that everyone will be happy.  I can make one run of meatless lasagna and the rest with meat, and make brownies, cakes, rolls, etc. I'm thinking it will be my favorite pan ever, and the large size should be extra awesome for our big family. Fingers crossed.


LINE THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN WITH PARCHMENT PAPER--YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID!

Cheesecake Tarts for Ali

Makes 12 mini cheesecakes, using vanilla wafers as the crust.

Preheat oven to 375.

With an electric mixer, mix:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar

Once smooth, add these:
2 TB flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Then add these:
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Fill a muffin pan with foil cupcake liners and place one of the vanilla wafers at the bottom of each one. Divide batter between the 12 of them, filling each cup up to about 1/4 inch from the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

When you take them out of the oven, place them on a cooling rack and let them cool completely. While they cool, it's normal for them to sink down in the center. Refrigerate until chilled.

Optional toppings:
berries and whipped cream
chocolate and caramel sauces
pie filling
chocolate chips

Donuts

Elizabeth's donuts that she made us for Halloween!!!

 

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 egg

1/4 cup shortening

3 1/2 to 3 1/4 cups flour

Activate yeast in warm water, and add the rest of the ingredients as other breads

Beat together the other ingredients and enough flour until dough is smooth and elastic

Let dough rise until double

Roll dough 3/8" thick and cut dough into doughnut shape. Let doughnuts rise until double on greased cookie sheet. 

Heat oil to 375* and drop doughnuts into hot fat; cook until they are golden on both sides. Remove from fat and drain.

Maple frosting:

1 tsp Maple flavoring

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Milk

Powdered sugar

 

I kinda threw the ingredients together, so those measurements are guesses. I put in enough milk and powdered sugar to be the desired consistency.

Easy Fudge Sauce

I've made chocolate sauces before, but don't like that they're not creamy, thick or smooth (they usually turn out grainy for me). So I take this recipe from Avery below (which is a simple, yummy fudge) and just combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and add milk to thin it.

Rocky Road Fudge

1 bag chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped nuts

Look at this cute Christmas idea for Rocky Road fudge--though you know I'd choose milk or dark chocolate over white any day!

Cinnamon Rolls

As I've come to know, mashed potatoes are the difference between meh rolls and super delicious ones. I wasn't a cinnamon roll fan until I tried these from my friend Christy. We're using these to make resurrection rolls for Easter (you know, where you put a marshmallow inside them--representing Jesus' body--and it creates a hollow, empty tomb while baking--which I hope is not sacrilegious).

1 T. yeast
1 1/2 C. warm water
2/3 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 C. shortening
2 eggs
1 C. warm mashed potatoes (I prepare a cup of instant potatoes and use that)
7-7 1/2 C. flour

1/4 C. butter, melted
cinnamon
brown sugar
pecans (optional)

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter (at room temp.)
4 oz. cream cheese (at room temp.)
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar (or less)
1/2 tsp. vanilla or coconut

Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Stir in sugar, salt, shortening, eggs, potatoes, and 4 C. of flour. Mix until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead for about 5 minutes in an electric mixer. Place in greased bowl, turn to coat dough lightly in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise.

When dough is double in size (1-2 hours), punch down and roll out to about size of large cookie sheet. Melt 1/4 C. butter and brush onto dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar and pecans. As far as amounts go, I don't measure so I have no idea. Put it on thick though, then add a little more.

Roll up and slice into 1-2" thick rolls. Place on greased cookie sheet and let rise until edges of rolls are all pressing up against each other. (This usually makes about 18 rolls for me)
Bake at 400 for 15-25 minutes.

After rolls get out, mix 1/2 C. butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Spread frosting on warm (not hot) cinnamon rolls.

Rhubarb Crumble

Made for Father's Day 2013.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl combine rhubarb, white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and almond flavoring. Stir well and spread evenly into baking dish. Set aside.
4-5 cups diced rhubarb (about 4 stalks)
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring (Shannon's suggestion--I guessed on the amount and will try a little more next time)

Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped nuts over it if desired.

In a large mixing bowl combine brown sugar, oats, and 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir well then cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over rhubarb layer. (Shannon suggests cinnamon in the topping but I didn't add it.)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter (if you let it soften it won't make a crumbly topping but will still taste great!)

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. It was a big hit!

Frog Eye Salad

I made frog eye salad for the first time yesterday. This recipe says it makes 8-12 servings. I doubled it. It made so much that the 16 of us did not eat even half of it. One batch makes enough to fill up my big pink bowl.

I think I would like it without the coconut, and if you were eating it right away, I'd like some banana slices and not so much pineapple. I would definitely add more marshmallows--it's dessert anyway--and they are the kids' favorite part.

This is the one big bowl size (serves 16?)

Put water in a pot and heat to a boil on the stove. Add:
1 TB vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
16 oz. acini di pepe pasta
Cook until al dente. Drain and rinse.

In a saucepan combine and then cook (stirring) over medium heat until thickened:
1 cup white sugar
2 TB flour
½ tsp salt
1 ¾ cup pineapple juice (use the juice from the cans below)
2 eggs, beaten

Remove from heat and add:
1 TB lemon juice
Cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta with the sauce. Add:
3 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 (20 oz.) cans pineapple tidbits, drained
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip

Mix well and refrigerate until chilled. Before serving add:
2 cups mini marshmallows (original recipe only has 1 cup)
1 cup shredded coconut (optional--we usually leave it out)

Mandarin Creaminess

This was originally from a C**king Light magazine, but here it is how I usually make it:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 13x9 baking dish.

Crust:
9 TB butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt

Blend crust ingredients together well and pat into baking dish. Pierce bottom of dough with a fork. Bake 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool crust on a wire rack. (Turn off oven.)

Filling:
2 (11-oz) cans mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained, reserving 1/2 cup juice
1/4 cup sugar
24 oz. sour cream (low fat if desired)
2 (3.4 oz) packages vanilla instant pudding mix

Combine juice, sugar, sour cream and pudding mix in a large bowl; stir well. Fold in the orange segments. Spoon orange mixture over crust, spreading evenly.

Topping:
8 oz. Cool Whip or sweetened whipped cream

White Chocolate Caramel Pears

My friend Bookette makes yummy white chocolate caramel pears and apples. I say skip the apples and just make the pears. I'm not even a fan of white chocolate, but these are so good. Here's her recipe.

Peanut Butter Frosting

We put this on our brownies on Sunday. Yum--tasted like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (but better). You only need to make 1/3 or 1/4 the amount of the original recipe for a 13x9 pan of brownies.

Next time I'll try:
2 TB butter, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
milk to the consistency you want

Magic Shell

I want to try this: homemade magic shell fudge sauce

Christmas Almond Pastry

Ingredient #1: hubby who is really good at rolling out dough!!!
Shape into candy canes or wreaths if desired. (Ours were sprinkled with green and red sugar crystals in the pictures.)





Basic Dough:
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 c. warm milk

4 1/2 tsp. yeast
1/2 c. lukewarm water
1 TB sugar

1 tsp salt
2 eggs
6-8 cups flour (usually 7 1/2 c. works)

Place butter & sugar in bowl. Add warm milk and stir until butter melts. Let stand while mixing yeast with water & sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Mix everything together with remaining ingredients, adding flour a cup at a time until dough doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. Knead. Cover and let rise until double. Meanwhile, make fillings.

Cream Filling:
Heat to boiling on medium heat in saucepan:
2 c milk

Mix these together in a bowl, stirring after dry ingredients first:
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. sugar
6 TB flour
2 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolk

Add a little warm milk, then mix with heated milk and stir and cook till thick. Cover with plastic wrap and cool filling to room temp before spreading.

Almond Filling:  (this is how Hans likes it--I like double this almond filling)
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c rolled oats
2-3 tsp. almond extract

Divide dough into 4 parts. Shape first dough portion by rolling it into a rectangle about the size of a cookie sheet. Spread ¼ of cream filling on the center of the pastry then sprinkle with ¼ of almond filling. Cut slits in the long ends of the dough. Braid the dough by folding and stretching alternating strips of dough over the filling. Repeat with the other three portions of dough. Cover and let dough rise until double in bulk. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Almond Icing:
2 cup powdered sugar
4 TB milk or cream
2 tsp almond flavoring
Drizzle on baked pastry and sprinkle sliced almonds on top if desired.

Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting

Frosting perfection right here.