Smores Cheesecake

dessert, Uncategorized

FOR CRUST

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan
• 12 graham crackers (3-by-5 inch)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

FOR FILLING

• 2 1/2 pounds bar cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine grated lemon zest and juice
• 1/4 cup semi sweet choolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• Topping
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows or enough to cover the top of the cheese cake
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make crust: Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until fine crumbs form; add melted butter, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine. Press crumb mixture into bottom and about 1 inch up side of pan. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
• Set a kettle of water to boil. Make filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.
• Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 1 3/4 hours. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight before serving. Add the marshmallows completely over the top of the cheesecake, put the oven on broil, and toast the marshmallows until golden brown 20 to 30 seconds – this goes pretty fast! drizzle melted chocolate all over the top! slice and enjoy! 

Cast Iron Skillet Caramel Apple Pound Cake

dessert, Uncategorized

Ingredients

Pound Cake
1 cup vegetable oil or 1 cup melted cooled butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, oil and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix). Heat your cast iron skillet, add 3 tbsp butter coat the pan, then add the cake batter to the pan, after which transfer immediately to the oven.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in pan 15 minutes.

Caramel apples
1/4 cup butter + 2 tbsp to saute apples
 4 large tart apples – peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar  – use light if that is what you have on hand.
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Saute the apples for 10 minutes or until softened in melted butter.
Remove from the skillet when done.
Melt the remaining butter in the skillet and add the brown sugar, stir until sugar is nice and melted
Then add the heavy cream, salt, cinnamon and vanilla, simmer 2 minutes until thickened.
Then add the apples back to the caramel sauce, simmer another 1 minute until everything is combined.
Slice your cake, pour over caramel sauce and arrange the apples on top and enjoy!

Double Chocolate Walnut Brownie – Recipe( used in my boozy brownie blast)

dessert, Uncategorized

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces)
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Melt butter and chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until chocolate mixture is smooth. Cool.
  Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in chocolate mixture, vanilla and salt. Add flour; beat just until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Sprinkle top with walnuts. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool completely.