Decadent Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

Easy like cupcakes but rich and creamy like cheesecake.



2 cups cottage cheese

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup Dutch cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon flour

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

10 chocolate wafer cookies (Famous brand works well)

whipped cream (optional)

strawberries (optional)

chocolate syrup & chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 275'. Line cupcake tin with 10 paper liners. In a food processor, combine cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, cocoa, flour, and vanilla. Process until smooth. Divide mixture among the 10 cups and place 1 wafer on top of each. Bake until set and wafers soften, about 15-30 minutes. Let cool at room temperature in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

To serve, invert cheesecakes onto plate and carefully peel off liners. Garnish with whipped cream, strawberries, chocolate syrup, and chocolate sprinkles. Delicious!

Grandma Shore's Lemon Jello Salad

This is a Thanksgiving must with the Shore family.

It's very refreshing and light for warm weather as well.

It's so good you could even serve it as dessert.

Actually, there is no wrong time to serve this salad.
(I use the word salad very loosely here.)

1 pkg. (3oz.) lemon jello

1 cup crushed pineapple

16 small marshmallows (a handful or so will do)

2 sliced bananas

1 cup drained pineapple juice (add water if needed)

3 Tbl. lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbl. flour

1 Tbl. butter

1 egg

1/8 tsp. salt

Stir together all ingredients in sauce pan. Cook on medium heat until thick. Pour into 13x9" dish and cool.

Whip 1/2 cup whipped cream, sugar and vanilla. Spread over top of cooled jello. Grate American cheese over whipped cream.

-I can usually get away with just dumping a whole can of pineapple juice and all, without measuring separately for the juice. Be sure to mix ingredients well before it thinkens or you'll have cooked egg in your jello. Also cover any leftovers so the cheese doesn't dry out.

Brownies with Brown Butter Frosting

I always have these ingredients in my pantry. 

They're simple to make but a little fancier than
just plain old brownies.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbl. baking cocoa
1/8 tsp. salt
Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tsp. 1/2 &1/2 cream
2 tsp. vanilla
Glaze:
1 square unsweetened chocolate
1 Tbl. butter

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.  Add flour, cocoa and salt mix until combined.
Spread into ungreased 13"X9" baking dish. Bake @ 350 for 30 min. or until done. Careful not to over-bake.

Frosting: In saucepan cook and stir butter over medium heat until golden brown. Pour into bowl, beat in powdered sugar, cream and vanilla. Frost on cooled brownies.

Glaze: In microwave, melt chocolate and butter. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over frosting. Cut into bars.

Note: These brownies are better when cooled completely. The frosting is my favorite, the more you brown the butter the more caramelized the flavor, but be careful not to scorch it.

Iceberg Lettuce with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

I've been lovin' all things blue cheese this summer.
This recipe is real great for summer, it's fast and easy.
Perfect with a steak just off the grill.

3Tbl. white wine vinegar

1 small shallot, finely chopped (I also use a green onion)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

coarse sea salt and ground pepper

1 head iceberg lettuce, quartered into wedges

Whisk vinegar, shallot and mustard. Pour in oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Stir in 1/2 of the blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange lettuce. Drizzle with vinegrette, sprinkle with remaining blue cheese.

-This is also very good with crumbled bacon added-

Red,White,and Blue Trifle

This is great for the 4th but would be great for any quick, summer dessert.

1 box Red Velvet cake mix (feels like cheatin' huh!)

16 oz. whipped topping

2 pints blueberries

2 pints strawberries

Bake cake in 13X9" baking dish, cool. Cut into 1" squares, line bottom of trifle bowl with 1/2 the cake.

Spread 8oz. whipped topping over cake in trifle bowl. Layer 1/2 the blueberries on top of whipped topping. Top blueberries with 1/2 the strawberries.
Layer remaining cake on top of strawberries, forming the second layer. Spread remaining whipped topping over cake pieces.

Decorate the perimeter with strawberries; cut side down. Sprinkle center with blueberries.

Note: I have to press down the cake layers a bit so it all fits nicely in my dish. It would be helpful to let the whipped topping thaw a little for better spreading. I also have leftover berries. As far as berries go you could use any mixture or combination. In this picture I added raspberries from my garden.

Lime Cream Torte

Lad made me this delicious cake for Mother's Day!

 I think you'll really enjoy how refreshing it is.

Perfect for a hot summer day.

1 package yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

7 Tbl. water

3 Tbl. lime juice

Filling:

1 can (14oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lime juice

2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped

In large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, butter, water, and lime juice. Beat on medium speed for several minutes.

Pour into two greased and floured 9" round baking pans. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. When cool, split each cake into two horizontal layers. (Lad skipped this part)

In a large bowl, combine milk and lime juice Fold in the whipped cream. Spread about 1 cup between each layer and over top of cake. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Garnish with lime slices. Store in refrigerator. Great dessert to make ahead as it gets even better as it sits in the refrigerator.

Frosted Peanut Butter Fingers

I like to make these because they're yummy, fast
and I always have these ingredients on hand.

I found this recipe in my Baking Classics Cookbook.

These bars are sweet and chewy. You can treat a whole crowd!

1 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, divided
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Chocolate  Frosting:
6 Tbl. butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
6-8 Tbl. milk

In a large bowl, cream butter ans sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 cup peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, baking soda and salt; gradually  add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Spread or press into a greased 15"x10"x1' baking pan. Bake at 350 for 13-17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly on a wire rack. Spread with remaining peanut butter. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla and enough milk to achieve spreading consistancy. Spread over peanut butter. Cut into bars.

Note: Don't use reduced-fat, or generic peanut butter. I rarely use all the frosting so you could scale it down to 2 cups powdered sugar and just eye ball how much milk to get the right consistancy.