blessedmomof04
03-02-2009, 05:21 PM
Thin Mints
Peppermint Chip Cheesecake
1 package (10 ounces) chocolate-covered mint cookies*, crushed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 to 4 drops green food coloring, optional
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chipsDirections:
In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Lightly beat eggs and egg yolk; add to cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed just until combines. Stir in the cream, extracts and food coloring if desired. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.
Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Cover and chill overnight. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.makes12 servings.
Shortbreads
Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
Ingredients:
2 cups crushed shortbread cookies
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
1 cup chopped pecans
5 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
SOUR CREAM TOPPING:
2 cups (16 ounces sour cream
1/3 cup sugarDirections:
In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir 1/4 cup flour into the caramel topping. Set aside 1/3 cup caramel mixture and 2 tablespoons pecans for garnish. Drizzle remaining caramel mixture over crust; sprinkle with remaining pecans.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar vanilla and remaining flour until smooth. Beat in eggs and yolks just until combined. Stir in cream.
Pour over crust. Bake at 325° for 65-70 minutes or until center is almost set.
In a small bowl, combine sour cream and sugar; carefully spread over warm filling. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.
Chill for 8 hours or overnight. Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, drizzle with reserved caramel mixture and sprinkle with reserved pecans. Refrigerate leftovers.makes12 servings.
Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Peanut Butter Cookie Parfait
Ingredients:
3 peanut butter cookies, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup vanilla ice cream
3 tablespoons hot fudge ice cream topping, warmedDirections:
Set aside one large cookie piece. Sprinkle half of the chopped cookies in a parfait glass; top with half of the ice cream and hot fudge topping. Repeat. Garnish with reserved cookie piece.makes1 serving.
Lemonades
Lemon Surprise Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups lemon cream-filled sandwich cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
LEMON FILLING:
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
CHEESECAKE LAYER:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
2 teaspoons grated lemon peelDirections:
Combine the cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until crust just begins to brown. Cool pan on a wire rack.
In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the lemon juice, butter and peel. Cool to room temperature without stirring.
In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Gradually beat in gelatin mixture until combined. Fold in the whipped cream and lemon peel.
Spoon three-fourths of cheesecake mixture into crust; build up edges slightly. Chill for 5 minutes. Spoon lemon filling over cheesecake layer to within 1/2 in of edges. Top with remaining cheesecake mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Carefully run a knife around edge of pan; remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.makes12 servings.
Peppermint Chip Cheesecake
1 package (10 ounces) chocolate-covered mint cookies*, crushed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 to 4 drops green food coloring, optional
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chipsDirections:
In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Lightly beat eggs and egg yolk; add to cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed just until combines. Stir in the cream, extracts and food coloring if desired. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.
Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Cover and chill overnight. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.makes12 servings.
Shortbreads
Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
Ingredients:
2 cups crushed shortbread cookies
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
1 cup chopped pecans
5 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
SOUR CREAM TOPPING:
2 cups (16 ounces sour cream
1/3 cup sugarDirections:
In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir 1/4 cup flour into the caramel topping. Set aside 1/3 cup caramel mixture and 2 tablespoons pecans for garnish. Drizzle remaining caramel mixture over crust; sprinkle with remaining pecans.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar vanilla and remaining flour until smooth. Beat in eggs and yolks just until combined. Stir in cream.
Pour over crust. Bake at 325° for 65-70 minutes or until center is almost set.
In a small bowl, combine sour cream and sugar; carefully spread over warm filling. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.
Chill for 8 hours or overnight. Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, drizzle with reserved caramel mixture and sprinkle with reserved pecans. Refrigerate leftovers.makes12 servings.
Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Peanut Butter Cookie Parfait
Ingredients:
3 peanut butter cookies, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup vanilla ice cream
3 tablespoons hot fudge ice cream topping, warmedDirections:
Set aside one large cookie piece. Sprinkle half of the chopped cookies in a parfait glass; top with half of the ice cream and hot fudge topping. Repeat. Garnish with reserved cookie piece.makes1 serving.
Lemonades
Lemon Surprise Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups lemon cream-filled sandwich cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
LEMON FILLING:
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
CHEESECAKE LAYER:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
2 teaspoons grated lemon peelDirections:
Combine the cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until crust just begins to brown. Cool pan on a wire rack.
In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the lemon juice, butter and peel. Cool to room temperature without stirring.
In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over lemon juice; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Gradually beat in gelatin mixture until combined. Fold in the whipped cream and lemon peel.
Spoon three-fourths of cheesecake mixture into crust; build up edges slightly. Chill for 5 minutes. Spoon lemon filling over cheesecake layer to within 1/2 in of edges. Top with remaining cheesecake mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Carefully run a knife around edge of pan; remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.makes12 servings.