Nutella Cheesecake

Here is a cheesecake that is out of this world in taste!  I made this one last Thanksgiving and it really, really is a keeper.  The person who submitted this recipe is from one of many recipe groupsI am on and her name is Anna Maria Sattanie and it is her nutella cheesecake picture I am posting as everyone ate the my version of her cheese cake before I got a chance to take a picture of it.

Ingredients

CRUST
1 1/2 c	chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
2 Tbsp	sugar
1/2 c	butter, melted
CHEESECAKE
3 pkg	cream cheese, room temp. & softened
1 c	sugar
1/4 c	all purpose flour
1 tsp	pure vanilla extract
2	egg yolks
1	whole egg
1/2 c	milk
1	13 oz. jar of nutella
TOPPING
1 c	heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 c	semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c	toasted hazelnuts (optional)

Directions

1

CRUST: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small mixing bowl, combine crust ingredients. Pat into the bottom of springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.

2

CHEESECAKE: Directions for Filling: In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla extract until just combined. Add egg yolks and egg, beat on low until just combined. Add milk and Nutella and mix completely. Pour filling into springform pan. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Place springform pan on a cookie sheet and then place in oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until center appears set when shaken lightly. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

3
TOPPING: Bring cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Sprinkle toasted hazelnuts over chocolate. Refrigerate cheesecake for at least 4 hours to set.

When I made my cheesecake I used chcolate graham cracker crumbs and I didn't top with the hazelnuts.

Coconut Bon Bon's

This candy is sooo good and I wanted to share it on my blog.  I got this recipe from Wendy Rusch.  It is very easy to make. This is her picture as I can't find the one I took of my bon bon's.

Ingredients

3/4 c	mashed potatoes
4 c	coconut, flaked
4 c	powdered sugar
12 oz	semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cake	*parafin wax, optional

Directions

1

Mix together potatoes, sugar and coconut. Place in refrigerator for 1/2 an hour. Shape into 1" balls, place on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. Freeze for 1/2 an hour. Melt chocolate with wax in double boiler. If you opt not to use the wax, I would add 2 Tablespoons of veg oil to the chocolate for smoother melting and dipping. Dip balls and place back on waxed paper. Allow to dry/harden...and Enjoy!
Store in cool place, they freeze really well.
*parafin wax - you can use this if you want, it provides a nicer, more glossy texture on the bonbon...don't melt so easily in your fingers...but you really don't need it.



No Fail Divinity Candy

I had always been leary of making divinity because of weather conditions that might make it FLOP that is until I tried this recipe from a gal on in my club who's name is Brenda Smith. 

Here is the recipe for this delicious candy.

Ingredients

2 c	sugar
1/2 c	water
1 pinch	salt
1 jar(s)	marshmallow cream
1/2 c	pecans, in pieces

Directions

1

Bring sugar, water, and salt to a rolling boil. Boil for only 2 minutes.

2

Place marshmallow cream in a larger bowl.

3

Pour hot mixture over cream and beat until mixture becomes dull. **

4

Add pecans.

5

Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper. Let cool. Refrigerate.

NOTE:  There is no way I could beat this candy by hand so I used a hand mixer and it worked perfectly!! 

Challah Bread

About a month ago I made my very first Challah bread from a recipe from a club I belong to and the woman who submitted it is Wendy Rusch.

Here is my version same recipe but I added some craisins to mine. I braided it in three braids but next time I will make the braids a little tighter as you can see when it baked the ropes of braids did not show up as well as it should have but what can I say.. it was a first time LOL

This is how it looked as I was ready to put in the oven.

And below is how it looked when I took it out of the oven. I must say it tasted good though!

Ta daaaa!!

Here is the recipe!



Ingredients

1 1/2 c	warm water, 110-120 degrees
1 Tbsp	sugar
2 pkg	yeast
1/2 c	honey
1 Tbsp	oil
4	eggs, room temp
1 1/2 tsp	salt
5 c	flour, plus more
optional	course sea salt, seseame seeds or poppy seeds Directions 1 Combine warm water, sugar and yeast in large mixing bowl. Let stand 5-10 min. Then add in honey, oil, eggs, salt and 5 cups of flour. Turn mixer on with dough hook attachment and mix well, once all mixed together add 1/2c flour at a time with mixer running on low-medium until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, then knead with mixer for 4-5 min. In total I added 1 1/2c flour extra, this will vary depending on the humidity levels in your area. Once done kneading, turn into a sprayed or oiled bowl, flip dough over as to coat bother sides, cover with a tea towel and place in warm area to rise. It should rise at least one hr or until doubled in size. 2 Remove towel and punch down, dump onto a lightly floured surface and cut dough into 6 pieces for 2 braids or into 2 if you just want loafs. For loafs, spray to pans and place dough halves into them, cover and let rise 30-45 min. For braids, take 3 pieces of dough, roll stretch and pull into 3 rope shapes, pinch together three ends and tuck under loaf, braid! and pinch together the ends and tuck under, place onto sprayed or greased sheet pan, repeat with rest of dough and place onto same sheet pan. Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes in warm place. 3 Preheat oven to 325. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg with 1T milk and brush over loafs, sprinkle course sea salt or sesame seeds or poppy seeds over top, if desired. You can just do the egg wash and call it good as well! And when oven is preheated place loafs into oven bake 15 min and turn pans around, then bake another 15 to 25 min. until a beautiful brown color...remove from oven, if desired, you can brush melted butter over top. Cool on wire racks. ENJOY!!!

Peach cake and Chantilly cake ( my husband's favorite cakes)

                                                                                      PEACH CAKE

I USE A YELLOW CAKE MIX AND JUST FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE BOX.

AFTER THE CAKE HAS BEEN BAKED AND COOLED I POKE HOLES IN THE CAKE USING  THE HANDLE OF A WOODEN SPOON.  THEN MAKE THE PEACH FROSTING. 

PEACH FROSTING:

 I USE A LARGE CAN OF PEACHES, DRAINED

1 STICK OF BUTTER

I HANDFUL OF SUGAR OR SPLENDA

DIRECTIONS:

PUT DRAINED PEACHES IN A BLENDER

ADD BUTTER THAT HAS BEEN CHOPPED UP

AND A HANDFUL OF SUGAR OR SPLENDA AND BLEND ALL UNTIL SMOOTH.

THEN POUR THE FROSTING OVER THE CAKE THAT HAS BEEN POKED WITH HOLES.

..................................................................................................................................................................

CHANTILLEY CAKE

THIS CAKE IS FOUND IN ALMOST EVERY BAKERY IN HAWAII.  IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CAKES.

CAKE BATTER INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs, seperated
1 1/2 cups sugar or splenda
1 2/3 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1  1oz square unsweetened chocolate,melted
1/3 cup veggie oil ( I use canola)
1 cup whole milk

iNSTRUCTIONS:
pre heat oven to 350* and then grease 2 9x9 cake pans

Beat egg whites until frothy
Gradually beat in 1/2 cup of sugar until soft peaks form.
Sift remaining 1 cup sugar with cake flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add melted chocolate, oil, and 1/2 cup milk and beat one minute on medium speed.
Add egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup milk.  Beat one minute until smooth.
With a rubber spatula gently but throughly fold in egg white mixture.
Pour into prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes.
Cool in pans on a rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and using a very sharp knfe
split the cake layers into four layers.

CREAM FILLING:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring

Instuctions:

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.
Add egg, blend well.  Stir in milk slowly.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture
comes to a boil and thickens.   Add butter and vanilla
Chill 30 minutes before spreading on cooled cake layers.

CHANTILLY FROSTING:

Ingredients:

1 13 oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
4 large egg yolks
1  1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Instructions:
Combine milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and
vanilla and cook stirring constantly over medium
heat for 12 minutes until mixute thickensor it will slide 
right off the cake!  Add vanilla and chill for 1 hour covered 
with a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface for  proper
spreading consistancy.  Frost cake and sprinkle with toasted 
chopped pecans.  Chill for 2 hrs and this will serve 8-10.