Lemon Cheesecake

Submitted by Heather

Lemon curd.  Mmmm.  You could slather it on almost anything and it would be delicious.  It is especially wonderful on this lemon cheesecake. Don't worry about it being too lemony.  As if that's even possible!  Yes, it's true that some artificial lemon flavoring can be too overpowering.  But this is all natural and just right. You won't believe how perfectly creamy and tart it is. Delicious!

Lemon Cheesecake

CRUST
5 ounces Nabisco’s Barnum’s Animal Crackers (I used Nilla wafers)
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and kept warm

FILLING
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 oz.) sugar
1 tablespoon grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 1-2 lemons
1 1/2 pounds (3 8-oz. packages) cream cheese, cut into 1 inch chunks, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

LEMON CURD
1/3 cup juice (from about 2 lemons)
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) sugar
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

FOR THE CRUST
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325F. In a food processor, process the animal crackers until you have fine crumbs. You should have about 1 cup. Add in the sugar and pulse. In a steady stream, add the butter while pulsing, about 10 1-second pulses. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly into the bottom. Bake until fragrant and golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. When cool, wrap the pan with 2 18-inch square pieces of foil (this is important!  You want to make sure that no moisture can get into the pan or you'll have a soggy crust). Set the pan in a roasting pan.

FOR THE FILLING
Process 1/4 cup of the sugar and the lemon zest in a food processor until the zest is broken down and the sugar turns yellow. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the rest of the sugar.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese to break it up and soften it slightly, about 5 seconds. With the machine running, add the sugar mixture in a slow stream; increase the speed to medium and beat until combined, creamy and smooth – about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium low and add the eggs, 2 at a time. Beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl before each addition. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and salt and mix to combine. Add the cream and mix until incorporated, about another 5 seconds. Give the bowl a final scrape and pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough water to make it about halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until the center jiggles slightly, the sides start to puff, and the surface is no longer shiny, about 55 to 60 minutes. The center should read about 150 degrees F. Turn off the oven and prop the door of the oven open with a potholder or wooden spoon. Allow the cake to cool in the water bath in the oven for about an hour. Transfer the springform pan to a wire rack and run a small paring knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Let it sit to room temperature for 2 hours.

FOR THE CURD
While the cheesecake is baking, heat the lemon juice in a small non-reactive pan on medium heat until hot, but not boiling. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot lemon juice into the egg/sugar mixture, then return the mixture to the saucepan and continue to heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 170 F and is thick enough to cling to the spoon, about 3 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add in the cold butter and mix until incorporated. Stir in the cream, vanilla and salt, then pour through a strainer into a small nonreactive bowl. Cover the surface of the curd directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

TO ASSEMBLE
When the cheesecake is cool, top it with the lemon curd while still in the springform pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, but 24 hours is better. To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan and cut into wedges.

Source: Adapted slightly from The New Best Recipe

Raspberry Curd filled cupcake with lemon butter cream cheese frosting

Submitted by Lisa

I have been watching Cup Cake wars on Food Network and have been dying to try one myself.  So, I picked one that used "normal" ingredients and gave it a try.  I am very pleased with the results.  Personally, I will probably make it again, but with a white or yellow cake.  I have never really been a fan of red velvet.  

Recipe originally called for blackberries

Recipe courtesy Victoria Donnelly, Cupcake Wars, 2010

Prep Time:

40 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

45 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons royal blue gel paste food coloring
• 1 tablespoon purple gel paste food coloring

Raspberry Curd Filling: 

(this made way too much curd for the amount of cupcakes, next time I would do about a 1/4 of this)

• 2 quarts fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Raspberry Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons reserved Raspberry juice, from curd filling
• 1 lemon, zested
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 24 whole fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)

Directions

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake or muffin pan with 24 regular-size cupcake liners.

Place the oil, buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until thoroughly mixed. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder together and slowly add to the mixer on low speed. Scrape down the bowl thoroughly, as needed. Add the food colorings in a steady stream until desired shade is achieved; it should appear bluish-purple. Beat for another 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl one last time and mix for 30 seconds by hand.

Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter and bake until they form a semi-hard crust on top, about 25 minutes. Immediately remove the cupcakes from their pan and place on a cooling rack.



For the raspberry curd filling: Bring the raspberry and water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Turn down the heat to low and simmer until the raspberries are soft and separate easily, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a sieve and pass through using a spoon to help mash the raspberries. Discard the pulp and reserve the juice. Place the flour and sugar in a clean saucepan and slowly pour in the raspberries juice, reserving 2 tablespoons. Whisk constantly. When thoroughly combined, add the whole eggs and egg yolks, whisking and cooking until the mixture thickens. When the curd has formed, after about 7 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator until fully chilled.

For the cream cheese frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter together in the bowl of an electric standmixer until pale and creamy. Add the raspberry juice and lemon zest and continue to beat until the color is even. (The lemon zest has a tendency to adhere to the beater blade. When removing from the mixer bowl, be sure to scrape this off and blend back into the frosting by hand.) Reduce the speed to low and slowly begin adding the confectioners' sugar. Keep adding until the frosting has a medium-stiff consistency. You may not require the full 5 cups sugar. Beat on high speed for a further 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

To assemble: Remove the center of each cupcake using an apple corer. Fill the cavity with the raspberry curd until it is level with the top of the cake. Pipe the frosting on top using a plain pastry tip. Crumble one of the cakes into small pieces and scatter a few crumbles on top of each cake so that it adheres to the frosting.Garnish with a whole fresh raspberry, if desired.

• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results
  .

Garden Fresh Lasagna

 (I used a home canned tomato sauce for this recipe, but you can use store bought)

• This is the 2nd recipe for the week that will include Zucchini.  I have them multiplying faster that I can cook with them!  But, I am determined to venture out and try them in a few different ways.  Don't forget, if you don't have time to cook with them, at least take the time to peel and finely shred them.  They freeze fabulously and you can pull it out later and make something.

• Submitted by Lisa

• Source:  inspired by a dish I saw on www.health.com titled Garden Lasagna
•  (the original dish has no meat and uses a white sauce)
• 
  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups (1 pound) chopped zucchini
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup chopped carrot
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil (I omitted because my sauce was seasoned already)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 quarts of home canned tomatoes or store bought 
• 1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 lb. hamburger browned
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• Cooking spray
• 9 (about 5 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, onion, and carrot; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in corn, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

3. In small mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and the egg.  Mix until combined.

4.  Mix the browned beef and the vegetable mixture together.

5. Spread 1/2 cup tomatoes in bottom of an 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce; top with half the vegetable mixture (about 2 cups) and one-third of the cottage cheese mixture, and spread a layer of tomato sauce/chunks over that.

6. Sprinkle some of the mozzerella cheese on and repeat until gone.  Your top layer should remain the vegie mixture with sauce and a final sprinkle of the mozzerella cheese.  

7. Cover with foil and bake at 400° for about 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes.

**tip** I put my dish on a cookie sheet with sides in case it bubbles over.  

Zucchini Fries

Posted by Lisa

Zucchini.  The ever abundant garden vegetable.  I have my 1st of the season right here.  Although I have my favorite zucchini recipes, I felt that I needed to add a few more to my choices if I want the kids and hubby to   continue to eat it all summer!  I found this recipe online at www.health.com  and made it to go with grilled steaks and baked potatoes.  It was a great addition and since it is baked, no added fat!

What do you do with it!?  ....try this recipe!

• Ingredients:
• 2 zucchini
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• Vegetable cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. 

 Peel the zucchini. 

Remove the center with the seeds and discard.

Cut zucchini into 1/2-inch sticks. 

Whisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add milk. Combine Parmesan and seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. 

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place zucchini on sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

  

****Tip**** If you have extra zucchini...DON'T THROW IT AWAY.  Take the left over and shred it and either make zucchini brownies or shred and freeze for making the brownies at another time!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Submitted by Heather

Raise your hand if you're one of those people who would rather eat the cookie dough raw than bake it?  Really?  I must admit that I do my fair share of snitching dough, always ensuring that I scoop up a number of chocolate chips to make it worth my while.  But while I do really love cookie dough, I'd rather bake it into cookies.  These cookies make it so that you don't have to choose - they give you a little of both worlds.  You get a delicious, golden cupcake filled with cookie dough (eggless!) and then topped with tasty cookie dough frosting.  What's not to love?

My kids sure couldn't answer that question.  They loved these cupcakes.  They weren't difficult, but you do have to plan ahead so that you have time to make all three components.  And I didn't even make the fourth!  If you're really ambitious (or just have some cookie dough laying around) you'll make a batch of mini chocolate chip cookies for a garnish.  Don't be thrown off by the frosting.  It's supposed to be a little bit grainy so that it mimics real cookie dough.

You won't be sorry you made these babies, and neither will anyone around you.  Enjoy!

Yield: 24 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For garnish:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

SOURCE: annies-eats.com

Stuffed Pork Chops

source: www.allrecipes.com

I had this pack of gorgeous thick pork chops and wanted to try stuffing them.  I thought they turned out really well and was a nice change from the same old, same old.  Not hard at all.  (pictured with Artichoke Risotto)

Ingredients

• 4 thick cut pork chops
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons melted butter, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 cup beef broth

Directions

1. Make slits in pork chops to form a pocket in fat end. 

1. Combine bread crumbs, sugar, pepper, salt, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, onions, and parsley; mix well. 

1. Stuff chops generously and skewer shut with toothpicks.

1. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter in a skillet. Brown chops slowly over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.

1.  Add beef broth and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until tender, turning chops at least once. Remove toothpicks and pour pan juices over pork chops before serving. (I actually placed them into a baking pan with the broth at this point and stuck them in the oven with foil because I didn't have time to watch it. 350 for about 30 to 40 min. )

Artichoke Risotto

This is really not a very good picture.  (photography is not my strong suit!)

Anyway, I have always wanted to try and make Risotto...I did it once with regular rice

-don't do that-  

Spring for the Arborio rice.  It is so much better and this turned out fantastic.  The only 

complaint from the kids was the amount of artichokes.  I however thought 

they were delicious.  YUM!

Posted by Lisa

source:  www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 quart chicken stock
• 10 baby artichokes
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
• 1 pound arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I omitted that and used more chicken stock)
• 1/4 cup grated Sicilian pecorino
• 2 tablespoon fresh minced Italian parsley
• 1 sprig thyme, leaves removed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat.

Clean the artichokes, leaving the tender inner leaves attached to the hearts, and halved. Rub with 1/2 lemon.

Cook artichokes until tender, about 10 minutes.

In a saute pan over low heat, saute onions and garlic together in olive oil. Add rice and toast to harden the outer starch. Add wine and slowly add chicken stock, only adding as much as will evaporate in 1 minute, until rice is cooked and creamy.  (this takes about 30 minutes so be prepared to babysit it)

When the rice is cooked, remove from heat and allow it to set for a few minutes to absorb any remaining liquid. Just before serving, mix in the artichokes, cheese, chopped parsley, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper, to taste.