#everyday baking

Ingredients

CRUST

1 3/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

FILLING

3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

2 tablespoons NESTLÉ NESQUIK Chocolate Flavor Syrup

2 tablespoons caramel syrup or ice cream topping

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 300° F. Grease 9-inch springform pan. FOR CRUST: COMBINE crumbs and butter in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of prepared pan.  FOR FILLING: BEAT cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in large mixer bowl until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, lime juice and vanilla extract; beat until combined.  MICROWAVE 1 1/2 cups morsels in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Stir 2 cups of cheesecake batter into melted morsels; mix well. Alternately spoon batters into crust, beginning and ending with yellow batter. BAKE for 70 to 75 minutes or until edge is set and center moves slightly. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; run knife around edge of cheesecake. Cool completely. Drizzle Nesquik and caramel syrup over cheesecake. Sprinkle with nuts and mini morsels. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of pan.

Ingredients

for the brownies:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, diced

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1-1/2 c. sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. instant espresso powder

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. flour

for the almond cream cheese:

12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

4 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tsp. almond extract

1-1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar

for the fruit:

Use any whole or cut fruit that you like, just be sure it's fresh, tasty, and beautiful!

Preparation

for the brownies:

1) Preheat oven to 325°.

2) Fold a long piece of heavy foil into a 13" wide strip and fit it inside a 9" x 13" metal baking pan, leaving foil overhang on the 2 long sides. Spray the foil with nonstick spray.

3) Stir the butter and chocolate in a large heavy saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, and then the eggs, 1 at a time. Whisk in espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. Then sift the flour over the chocolate mixture and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

4) Bake brownies until slightly puffed and dry-looking and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.

5) Run a knife around the inside edge of the brownie pan. Use the overhanging foil as an aid and gently lift the brownies from the pan. The pan I used produces a brownie that is 1/2" thick. Be sure your cookie cutter is taller than 1/2". Press round biscuit cutter (mine was 2-1/4'' in diameter) firmly into the cooled brownie. Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cookie cutter filled with brownie from the foil. Gently press the brownie out of the biscuit cutter. Repeat the cutting process until your brownie looks like a big piece of swiss cheese. (And I hope you're eating up some of those brownie scraps!)

for the almond cream cheese:

1) Beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add almond extract and beat to combine. Slowly add sifted powdered sugar, beating well to remove any lumps.

2) Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip, pipe almond cream cheese onto each brownie round. I did a little bit of this and a little bit of that...just pipe it on in the design(s) of your choice.

for the fruit:

1) Use both whole and cut fruits, depending on size. Decorate in the design(s) of your choice.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

Cannoli Topping

2/3 cup Mascarpone cheese

2/3 cup Ricotta cheese, strained slightly*

5 Tbsp powdered sugar

Sweetened Chocalate Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter and sugar on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes, occasionally scrapping down the sides of the bowl. Stir in eggs one at a time mixing until combine after each addition. Mix in sour cream and vanilla. With mixer set at low speed, slowly add dry ingredients and mix just until combine, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup about 2/3 full (about 1/4 cup batter per each). Bake in preheated oven 21 - 24 minutes until lightly golden and toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Cool cupcakes completely.

For the cannoli topping

In a small mixing bowl, using a rubber or silicone spatula, blend together Mascarpone and Ricotta cheese while running and pressing mixture along bottom of bowl to create a smooth texture while removing any lumps. Add in 5 Tbsp powdered sugar and mix until well blended.

For sweetened chocolate whipped cream

In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together heavy cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla until combine. Increase mixer to medium-high speed and whip until stiff peaks form.

To assemble cupcakes

Spread about 1 1/2 Tbsp cannoli filling over the top of each cupcake, then pipe sweetened chocolate whipped cream over cupcakes. Garnish with mini chocolate chips. Serve within the next 3 hours (as the whipped cream will begin to break down after that). Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

*Measurement taken before straining. To strain, I just placed the ricotta onto a layer of clean paper towels then wrapped it up and squeezed to strain out the liquids, then did this same step once more with a new batch of paper towels. You don't need all of the liquid removed just some of it. I used part skim Ricotta but whole milk Ricotta works too.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sugar, plus a few tablespoons for decoration

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp room-temperature, unsalted butter

1 large egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a food processor or electric mixer, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and then the egg on low speed, or while pulsing. Continue mixing until dough comes together.

Measure a couple of table spoons of sugar into a small bowl. Roll about a tablespoon of dough between your hands to form a ball, then roll the dough in the bowl of sugar, coating the outside. Place on a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart and slightly flatten the dough with your hands. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 3 to 4 minutes on the baking sheet, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup shortening

½ cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 12 ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces

  DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and baking soda Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

ULTIMATE YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

Here at the Hamilton house hold, we have these puddings at least twice a week. The recipe is my mothers and she says the secret to getting light and fluffy puddings is to rest the batter in the fridge for a few hours or even make it the night before. Also the oil in the tin needs to be smoking hot before pouring the batter.

INGREDIENTS

- 200ml Milk - 140g Plain Flour - 4 Eggs - Pinch salt & pepper - Quarter of a tea spoon of mustard powder - Cooking Oil

HOW TO:

1. Preheat oven to 210cFAN/230c/GAS 8. Pour a tea spoon of oil into each hole of a muffin tin or Yorkshire pudding tin.

2. Whisk flour, eggs, mustard powder, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add 200ml of milk while whisking. Pour the batter into a easy pour jug.

3. If the oven has reached temperature, open the oven door (the oil should be smoking slightly) and slide the shelf half out and pour the batter into the tin (it should sizzle).