Spiced Apple Cheesecake with Maple Cream Glaze

Very moist! Tastes like a Dutch Apple Pie & a Cheesecake all in one!

Spiced Apple Cheesecake with Maple Cream Glaze

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour, divided
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened, divided
• 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup and 2 Tbsp sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 5 Tbsp maple syrup
• 3 Tbsp light corn syrup

Directions

The Glaze:

1. Combine heavy cream, maple syrup, corn syrup in sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and reduced by about 1/3. (about 15 min.) Chill. 

The Crust:

1. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. (You can knead it with your hands if you don't have a pastry blender.) Press evenly into a lightly greased cheesecake pan. (or 13 x 9 baking pan to make bars)
2. Bake on 350 degrees for 15 min. or until lightly browned.

The Cheesecake:

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. 
2. Pour over warm crust.

The Apples:

1. In medium bowl, stir together chopped apples, 2 Tbsp sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.

The Streusel Topping:

1. In small bowl, cut together 1 cup flour, brown sugar, and butter. (Knead w hands)
2. Stir in oats until all crumbly.
3. Sprinkle evenly over apples.

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until filling is set.

Immediately use a knife to loosen the edges from the cheesecake pan sides.

Leave at room temperature for an hour.

Chill overnight.

Remove cheesecake pan sides.

Stir and pour maple cream glaze on cheesecake.

Mangia Mangia!

Ham & Corn Chowder

Ham & Corn Chowder

A great soup to warm up with on a cold day!

What is a chowder? Chowder is a thickened soup that usually contains milk or cream. Chowder can be thickened by using broken up Saltines by the individual. This soup is VERY flavorful, and can be eaten with or without the crackers. I made this for a party, and it was a HUGE hit! VERY VERY easy to make.

HAM & CORN CHOWDER

Serves 10-12        Prep: 20 min.        Cook: 25 min.

Ingredients:

• 8 bacon strips, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 3 cups cubed peeled potatoes (about 3 or 4 medium potatoes)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups whole milk, divided
• 4 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) whole kernel corn, divided
• 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain, reserving 1/4 cup drippings in pan. 
• Saute the onion, celery, and green pepper in drippings for 5 minutes. 
• Add potatoes and broth. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. 
• Place 1/2 cup milk and 2 cups corn in a blender; cover and process until pureed. Pour into saucepan.
• Add ham and remaining corn to saucepan; simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. 
• Stir in the butter, parsley, salt, pepper, pepper sauce (optional), and remaining milk. Heat through.
• Garnish with bacon. 

Mangia Mangia!

Chocolate Chip Cannoli Pie

Chocolate Chip Cannoli Pie

Deliciously creamy!!

Ingredients: 

• 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell, thawed according to package directions
• Water
• Cinnamon-Sugar (Comes in shaker in baking aisle)
• 1 container 15 oz. whole milk Ricotta Cheese
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar (I added an extra tablespoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (I added a touch more)
• 1 cup MINI milk chocolate chips (plus extra for garnish)
• Whipped Cream for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush pie shell lightly with water, then sprinkle with Cinnamon-Sugar
2. In medium bowl, stir together Ricotta cheese and sweetened condensed milk, add powdered sugar and vanilla until thoroughly blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour in prepared pie crust.
3. Bake for 45-50 min. or until crust is golden brown. Filling will appear slightly soft in middle. Cool completely on wire rack. Then chill in refrigerator for 4 hours-overnight. Garnish with whipped cream and choc chips. Mangia Mangia! 

Ready to go in the oven!

Came out of the oven a beautiful golden brown!

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) real butter, melted

Topping:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) real butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespooms flour
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans, (optional)

Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix together all ingredients for cake except the butter.
• Stir in the 1/2 cup melted butter
• Pour batter into a greased 9 x 14 inch baking pan
• Next, for the topping, mix the topping ingredients together until well combined
• Drop evenly over cake batter by spoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake
• Bake at 350 degrees for 23-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center
• Mix together the ingredients for the glaze until smooth. Pour over warm cake.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. 

After swirling the topping...

White Chocolate-Chocolate Cheesecake

White Chocolate-Chocolate Cheesecake

My guests RAVED over the taste of this cheesecake! They especially noticed the crust and kept asking me what the crust was made from. Traditionally, cheesecake has a graham cracker crust. But making it with the Lorna Doone shortbread cookies was a nice change and a big hit with everyone!

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients:

28 Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies, finely crushed
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
5 oz. Baker's White Chocolate, divided
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 tub (8 oz.) Philadelphia INDULGENCE Cream Cheese (milk chocolate or dark chocolate)
2 cups Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
1 cup fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. HEAT oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix cookie crumbs, 1 Tbsp sugar and butter.
3. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
4. Bake 10 minutes
5. MELT 4 oz. white chocolate as directed on pkg.
6. Beat plain Philadelphia cream cheese, remaining sugar and vanilla w mixer until blended.
7. Add melted white chocolate; mix well.
8. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
9. Pour over crust.
10. BAKE 50-55 minutes, or until center is almost set.
11. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim.
12. Refrigerate 4 hours.
13. Shave white chocolate into curls.
14. SPOON Philadelphia Indulgence cream cheese into medium bowl; stir until creamy.
15. Add Cool Whip; whisk until blended.
16. Spread over cheesecake.
17. Garnish w white chocolate curls and raspberries. 

TIPS:

*Bakers White Chocolate bars come in 4 oz. bars. This recipe calls for 5 oz. The next time I make this, I would buy ONE 4 oz. Bakers white chocolate for the cheesecake... and just a small Hershey's White Chocolate candy bar. The extra ounce was just to do the curls on the top of the cheesecake... therefore, it would be cheaper to buy it in candy bar form since it is just a topping. 

Pumpkin Loaf

Pumpkin Loaf

A Pumpkin Loaf that uses CREAM CHEESE in the recipe, along w walnuts = deliciously smooth & nutty!

Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 60-72 min.
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margarine
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
2. Put softened cheese, butter, and sugar in mixing bowl. Cream together well. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Mix in pumpkin.
3. In another bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and walnuts. Stir untl thoroughly mixed. Pour all at once over batter. Stir just enough to moisten. Turn into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-72 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove to rack to finish cooling. 

Nachos

NACHOS!!!

I LOVE NACHOS!!! These are great to make for either your family or for company. It could be a meal, or an appetizer. Soooo simple and easy. I make my nachos on a cookie sheet for my family. If I'm having company, I make two cookie sheets. Either way, no matter how many you make, you can bake it all together in the oven on 350 degrees for 10 minutes. And VOILA! It's done. I always play "Beat the Clock", and I clean the entire kitchen in the 10 minutes it takes to bake the nachos. For even easier cleanup, line your cookie sheets with aluminum foil. Then you don't have to worry about the cheese sticking to your cookie sheet.  

Mmmm... Who's ready for Football Season!!?

Ingredients:

Corn Tortilla Chips (I've tried flour tortilla chips before (like Tostitos) but they got flat and lost their crunch when heated w the toppings)
1 lb ground beef (per cookie sheet)I use a larger cookie sheet
    -Fry ground beef until brown
    -I season the ground beef with Taco Seasoning by McCormick
    -Sometimes I add a little salsa to the browned ground beef
Can of Refried Beans 
    -Microwave beans. 
Half can of sliced olives
Half jar of jalapeno slices
2 chopped up tomatoes
1/2 block of cheddar cheeses (shredded) OR bag of shredded cheese
2 stalks of green onions (I cut mine w a scissors so I don't have to slice them... I find this to be super fast.

All of these toppings are optional. You can add or take away whatever you want. I usually sprinkle a thin layer of cheese on chips before adding anything else. This keeps the chips somewhat connected on the bottom. Then I layer my refried beans, ground beef (make sure it's drained), onions, olives, etc. I top it all off with cheese once more... This keeps all the meat and toppings from drying out in the oven. Bake in oven on 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Comes out perfect every time! Don't forget sour cream and salsa on the side. Make it a meal and add a Fiesta salad and Rice-A-Roni Mexican Rice. Fight on!