Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

Recipe:

Crust:
30 Oreos, crushed
5 Tbsp butter, melted
small pinch of salt

Filling:
1 1/4 c salted peanuts, finely chopped and divided. (1/2 c for topping 3/4 c for filling)
1/2 c chocolate chips, chopped
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of allspice or nutmeg
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1 c powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/4 c peanut butter
2 Tbsp milk

Topping:
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt together and press in the bottom and sides of a springform pan (a measuring cup works well to press up the sides). Freeze for 10 minutes and then bake for 10 minutes.


Mix 3/4 c chopped peanuts, chocolate chips (the original recipe called for mini choc. chips, but I just got regular and chopped them up), sugar, cinnamon, and allspice.


In a separate bowl whip 1 1/2 c of the cream until medium peaks form, then beat in 1/4 c powdered sugar. Refrigerate until needed.


Beat cream cheese with the remaining 3/4 cup of powdered sugar. Beat in peanut butter and 2 Tbsp milk. Mix well.
Stir in 1/4 of the whipped cream to lighten up the cream cheese mixture then stir in the crunchy peanut mix. Mix the remaining whipped cream and pour over the crust. Refrigerate for 4 hrs or overnight.


For the topping, boil 1/2 c cream and pour over 1/2 c chocolate chips, stir until smooth. Pour over torte and top with remaining peanuts. Chill for an hour.

Rhubarb Pie

I've been wanting to make something with rhubarb for some time. In the past, I would never have to buy rhubarb because I'd always get it from someone's garden, but that's harder to come by in Milwaukee. I found some fresh rhubarb at the grocery store and got enough to make a pie and a cheesecake (rhubarb cheesecake recipe coming in the future!).
This pie has a sweet almost custard like filling.

Recipe:
3 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c sour cream (I didn't have sour cream on hand and found that 1 Tbsp soft butter with 2 Tbsp milk works just as well)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c flour
2 1/2-3 c fresh chopped rhubarb


Mix eggs and sugar, add sour cream. Mix in flour and nutmeg. Lastly mix in rhubarb.
Pour into a deep dish pie crust (crust recipe in last post).


I made a lattice top.


Bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.


Remember to put aluminum foil around edges so they don't burn. I got my foil on a little too late, but it still tasted delicious.



A la mode...

Easy Pie Crust

No more buying pre-made pie shells. I make this crust for every pie I make because it's so easy. It's also really flaky and almost melts in your mouth. It makes enough for a top and bottom so cut the recipe in half if you just need a bottom crust.

Recipe:
2 1/4 c flour
1 c shortening
1 tsp salt
up to 5 Tbsp water



Mix flour and salt.
Add 1 c. shortening and cut in using a pastry blender or a fork until it looks crumbly.


Add water (could take up to 5 Tbsp, I used about 3) until you can mush it into a ball. Pull the dough apart to form two balls (top and bottom).


Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Take out and roll with a floured rolling pin. I like to roll the dough around the pin to transfer it to the pie plate.
Pour in whatever filling you desire, put the top crust over it any way you choose (just make sure there are holes for steam to escape by scoring a few times or have a lattice top), flute edges with thumb and finger. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
Tip: Put foil around the edges of your crust about halfway through baking so it doesn't burn.

Best Cheesecakes Ever!

Cheescake has to be my favorite dessert. It just so happens that my boyfriend works at a cream cheese factory, so he supplies me with cream cheese whenever I need it. I think we were meant to be together, lol.
Here are the recipes for New York Cherry, Chocolate, and White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecakes.
Sorry I don't have photos for these, but I couldn't find any on my computer. Just believe me, they look beautiful.

New York Cherry Cheescake
-This cake has a lot of cream cheese in it which makes it super creamy. My cheesecakes crack everytime, but don't worry about this one because you just cover it with cherry filling. YUM.

Recipe:
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter, melted
5 pkg (8 0z each) cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp vannilla
1 c. sour cream
4 eggs
1 can of cherry pie filling

Mix crumbs, 3 Tbsp sugar and melted butter and press mixture into 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
Beat cream cheese, 1 c. sugar, flour, and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Mix in sour cream and eggs one at a time. Pour over crust.
Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from pan, but cool before removing rim. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Spread cherry pie filling over cake.

Chocolate Cheesecake
-I made this once for Lyndzi's birthday and I didn't even top it with anything because it was so good just by itself. Although, I'm sure fresh strawberries would be delicious on top.

Recipe:
1 1/2 c crushed Oreos
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg (8 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
3 eggs
And whatever you want to top it off

Mix crushed Oreos and melted butter, press into 9-inch springform pan, and bake for 10 minutes in a 325 degree oven.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add chocolate, mix well. Add eggs one at a time until completely blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Top with whatever you like or just leave it plain...it's good no matter what.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheescake
-This one is probably my new favorite. It's just like what I'd always order at the Cheescake Factory. I made it last Christmas and everybody loved it.

Recipe:
1 1/2 c crushed Oreos
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen raspberries
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 c water
2 c white chocolate chips
1/2 c half and half cream
3 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together crushed Oreos and melted butter, press into 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes in a 325 degree oven.
In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 Tbsp sugar, cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling for 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. (You can strain the sauce to remove the seeds, but I just kept them in becasue I didn't mind the seeds-I also didn't have a mesh strainer.)
Melt white chocolat chips with half and half either over boiling water or in the microwave. Stir until smooth.
Mix together cream cheese and 1/2 c sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted chocolate. Pour half of the batter over crust, spoon a little bit of the raspberry sauce on top and swirl in. Pour the rest of the batter into pan and then pour more of the sauce on top and marble it with the tip of a knife. (You could use up all the sauce in the cake or save some to serve with.)
Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool for 4 hours or overnight.

Peanut Butter Cake

Recipe:
For cake
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. butter, softened
4 eggs
1 cake mix (butter cake or yellow cake)
2/3 c water

For frosting
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. butter, softened
4 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour cake pans. Cream together 1/2 c. peanut butter and 1/2 c. butter. Add eggs. Add cake mix with water. Pour into pans and bake for 25 minutes.
Frosting: Add all butters then sugar. Mix in milk for good spreading. Apply to cooled cake.
If I can remember, I'm pretty sure I had a lot of frosting left over fyi.

Past Culinary Creations

I wasn't old enough to cook yet, but that doesn't mean I couldn't help



Summer of 97, helping dad in the garden...looks like he downsized



Christmas Apple pie
-Lyndzi didn't bother to mention it was leaking!



Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting
-not a great pix or great lighting
Chocolate chip pancakes
-post prom
Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting (it's my favorite)
-19th birthday

Blueberry Pie

Peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting

Rhubarb Pie
Recipe Coming Soon!!

Halloween treats

Camp food: pudgy pies





Breakfast pie and s'mores























French onion soup


Spinach Artichoke Dip

Peanut butter cream cheese cupcakes

Truffles

...testicular truffles. I was going to attend the second annual Testicle Ball and thought I should make something "ball" themed. Let me explain, the Testicle Ball is a party that a friend throws every year to introduce people to different kinds of Lebanese food such as sheep testicles and liver. So instead of making plain old truffles, I covered them in pink chocolate and topped them with chocolate sprinkles.
I don't think anyone will hesitate to sink their teeth into these balls!




Recipe:
12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 oz carton of heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp rum (optional, can vary alcohols: brandy, bourbon, kahlua)
Topping of your choice: melting chocolate, cocoa powder, nuts, coconut, powdered sugar



Heat cream and butter in saucepan, bring to a boil.


Pour boiling cream over chocolate chips and let stand for a few minutes. Stir until smooth.

Add liqueur and mix in.

Cover and place in a refrigerator for a few hours until you are able to form balls with the mixture (or pop it into the freezer to chill faster).
Once I made the balls I put them back in
to the refrigerator (or freezer) again because they softened up just by the heat of my fingers.






I used melting chocolate to coat them. This was a challenge because the hot melting chocolate started melting the truffle mixture, so you have to be quick.








Then I topped them off with sprinkles before the melting chocolate hardened.