November, 1995. It was my BF's birthday (he was not the BF at that time), and I remember making this first-ever attempt at baking a cheesecake. [Ed. note: To quote Private Hudson from Aliens, "Game over, man. Game over."]
Yes. This is the one. Try not to stick your fork through the screen–I dare you. This delicious caramel bomb made repeat appearances that Thanksgiving, Chanukah and Christmas, and at different times every year after that. My mamala begged me to make it every year for the holidays, and this year I'm making it for a client's Halloween party. The body of the cheesecake is incredibly creamy (not dense), with a touch of orange juice and a good amount of sour cream. There is a perfect crust-to-filling ratio, and the caramel apple topping is to die for (the caramel stays soft and does not stick to your teeth and harden). Keep in mind, this makes a large cheesecake (10 inches diameter). Perfect for any get together, my favorite is to offer this at Thanksgiving. Funny story/cautionary tale: two years ago I made this for my BF again and cut the ingredients in half to make a smaller 8-inch cake (was also going to give half to a neighbor). Just as I was presenting the entire cake to him on a platter, I dropped it. The platter broke, little shards of glass flaked all over and into the cheesecake–unsalvageable. We stared at the floor for the longest time. Curse words seethed through clenched teeth. Tears were shed. I will not lie, this is not a 30-minute dessert. There is preparation and time involved. (Really, you have to start making this the day before you plan on serving it.) However, the process is very straightforward and the end result is so worth the effort. Just be careful with those glass platters!
Adapted from: Bon Appetit (September 1995)
Number of servings: 16 Ingredients Crust
Directions Crust
Filling
Topping
2 Comments
My BF has a thing for caramely, butterscotchy tidbits and chocolate chip cookies. [Ed. Note: C is for cookie, and after proper advisement from my attorney, I submit that it is, indeed, good enough for me.] I mixed the two together and added liquor and dare I say this is the cookie, at least in our house. The butterscotch schnapps put it over the top with a toasted caramel note without it tasting boozy. Have tried this same recipe with bourbon, and it's good, real good. [Ed. Note: Hiccup.]
There are rules in our house for homemade chocolate chip cookies 1) not flat and crispy 2) not cake like 3) must be cold from the fridge 4) must be soft and chewy in the center and crispy around the edges. Some people like warm cookies out of the oven, but we like our cookies cold from the fridge. You can eat these cookies with milk, but bourbon also works. Please designate a driver if you go this route. Inspired by: Baked – New Frontiers In Baking Serving size: Makes 1 dozen cookies Ingredients
Directions
More people will come if they think we have punch and crostata!
-Eric Cartman (who knows his pie substitutions) youtu.be/IVkhqReJOug Personally I prefer making crostatas because I like the fruit-to-crust ratio better than pies (read: I'm only in it for the crust). Take advantage of the peak pluot and plum season with this crostata. Adapted from: Honestly Yum Number of servings: 6 Ingredients
Directions
Ice cream–it’s not my jam. When I was a child, several times over summer our family hit the DQ for ice cream. My two sisters, two brothers, grandmother and parents all ordered a child-size vanilla soft serve chocolate-dipped cone (you know, the cone with the signature curly swirl on top), but I was allowed to order…a hot dog.
I detested ice cream this much. Being allowed to substitute was a big deal. I grew up in a family where you ate what was served for dinner and you could not make something else. Allowances were not allowed. As fate would have it, in the last decade, (because of my ice cream loving boyfriend [Ed. Note: DID SOMEONE SAY ICE CREAM?]) I have developed a taste for it. Still not the number-one choice, but this key lime ice cream is sublime. This recipe from Jenn Segal is perfect. Didn’t change a thing. It’s actually creamier than normal ice cream, luscious, tart, and tastes like a key lime pie. Perhaps best of all, no need for an ice cream maker (which I do not own). Minus the chill-time, it comes together in about a half-hour. Adapted from: Once Upon a Chef Number of Servings: 6 Ingredients Crust
For the Ice Cream
Directions
My boyfriend Don and his mother Kathy have many similar traits: a peculiar sense of humor, love of music, financial acumen, and love of all things citrus, vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, and ice cream.
Today is his mother's birthday–she passed away last December 6. Amazingly, she and my mamala have birthdays a day apart (August 3 and 4), and passed one day apart (December 6 and 7). Over the years it has become something of a tradition for me to make Kathy a special birthday dessert, and I don't plan on ending this any time soon. I’m not sure if Kathy knew how much joy it gave me to make something special for her. [Ed. note: Um, Yeah.] Hope she enjoyed it as much as I did. Don grew up on Chipwiches and the San Francisco bay area's beloved It's It en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s-It_Ice_Cream, so this was part of my evil plan to get to his heart through his stomach. [Ed. note: Shut up, just shut up...] The original recipe calls for pecans, which of course complement the butterscotch caramel flavor wonderfully, but since we like our desserts smooth, we sometimes leave them out. This particular cookie recipe works especially well for ice cream sandwiches because it retains its softness, and the butterscotch caramel flavor really shines through. Cookies Adapted from The Tenth Muse, by Judith Jones and Orangette Number of servings: 30 cookies / 15 ice cream sandwiches Ingredients
Directions Cookies
Ice Cream Sandwiches
Mamala. This is how I affectionately referred to my beloved mother. Mamala. She passed away six years ago, and every year I still bake a cake on her birthday (Aug 4) in her honor.
As far back as I can remember, I made her birthday cakes. She was the ultimate chocoholic and I loved when her eyes rolled back in her head as she took the first bite of any dessert. Her two most favorite flavors were anything chocolate and anything malt, and here we get both. I have made hundreds of chocolate cakes, but this is The One. The go-to. Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) never lets me down, and the addition of malt powder to the frosting gives it an extra kick. This cake is lush, never dry, super chocolatey with a superior texture. Definitely a dessert for chocoholics beyond recovery. Adapted from: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home Number of Servings: 8-10 Ingredients Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Malt Frosting
Directions Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Malt Frosting
One of my favorite scenes in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally is when Meg Ryan’s character Sally has the following exchange with a waitress:
Sally: I’d like the chef salad please with oil and vinegar on the side and the apple pie a la mode. Waitress: Chef and apple a la mode. Sally: But I’d like the pie heated, and I don’t want the ice cream on top. I want it on the side and I’d like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it’s real. If it’s out of the can, then nothing. Waitress: Not even the pie? Sally: No, just the pie, but then not heated. I laugh (my bf laughs harder) because it hits close to home. As a chef, I know how personal food can be, and admittedly, I have been known to be...particular. In my younger days, even more so. As a child, soft and crunchy were too different to coexist. Foods were either soft and tender or crunchy and crisp, and never the twain shall meet. My desserts of choice had to be velvety smooth; any crispy, fruity, or even sprinkles decorated on top ruined it for me. Don’t get me started on my dislike of sweet on savory/meat. Gradually my taste palette evolved and I became a true texture-convert due to my love for pavlova. Named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this personal game-changer is a meringue-based dessert with a soft marshmallow center and crisp outer shell. The contrasting textures are brilliant—it’s a little crispy on the outside and light and airy on the inside. By the second day it loses its crispness and becomes a decadent truffle-like brownie, but still pillowy light. The recipe is adapted entirely from Smitten Kitchen. She lowered the sugar and upped the chocolate and it’s just perfect. I didn’t change a thing. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen Number of servings: 10 Ingredients Meringue
Directions
A quick note that you should expect regular recipe posts every Wednesday (with occasional lagniappe as is deemed necessary). ;-)
Nectarine and Marscarpone Tart in a Gingersnap Crust A perfect summer dessert, the tart nectarines and spicy gingersnap crust offset the not-too-sweet filling nicely. Originally a Bon Appétit recipe that Smitten Kitchen adapted, I made a few additions, namely, heavy whipping cream and cinnamon as I prefer a fluffier, less dense filling. The topping is open to a variety of summer fruits. I have made this tart and topped with cherries and other stone fruits as well. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen Number of servings: 8-10 Ingredients Crust
Directions Crust
Flling
Topping
Sticking with the strawberry theme from the last post, here's a fun single bite of goodness that has worked well for many of my Fourth-of-July catering events. There are many different ways to customize the filling (suggestions below), but the simple vanilla is a good foil for the chocolate and graham-cracker dip.
I have used gluten-free graham crackers for clients who require that; you can substitute with nuts (chopped pecans, walnuts) or even sprinkles. Happy Fourth! Yield: 24 strawberries Ingredients
Directions
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AuthorI'm Jacquie, personal chef & recipe developer in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Lover of books, bourbon, chocolate and movies. Archives
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