Cherry Pistachio Cheesecake

 

A little slice of heaven.

This was a stumble across in an old recipe box.  I have vague memories of it as a kid in the 60s so we know its at least that old.  In looking at the recipe I saw it was ripe for updating.  Pistachios sprinkled across the top, but none in the crust?  Cherry's taste more cherry like with almond extract but none in the recipe?  No salt anywhere why?  

So I looked at everything and went about updating this recipe for the new century.  It was all to amp up flavor and texture.  It was a huge hit at the dinner party the other night.

Cherry Pistachio Cheesecake

Crust

• 1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4c finely ground pistachio
• pinch of salt

Filling

• 16 oz cream cheese
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 1/8 t salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 c cherry pie
• 1/2 coarse chopped pistachio

Preheat oven to 325F.  Line 9 X 13" baking pan with parchment paper.

Combine graham cracker crumbs with ground pistachio and a pinch of salt.  Toss lightly to blend the mixture slightly.  Add melted butter and toss until the crumb mixture is evenly wet.  Gently press mixture into the prepared pan.

In mixing bowl add cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla and almond extract.  Beat at medium speed until fluffy and well mixed. (about 5 minutes).  Add eggs one at a time and beat in until well mixed.  Scrape down the sides as needed while beating mixture.  Reduce speed and add sour cream and mix until just blended.   Pour over the prepared crumb base.

Add cherry pie filling by spoonful over the filling keeping them 1-2" apart.  With table knife swirl cherry pie filling around the filling until nicely marbleized.  Sprinkle chopped pistachio evenly over filling.

Place baking pan on a sheet tray and pop into the preheated oven.  Bake 50-60 minutes until the filling is just starting to brown.  Test center with toothpick to make sure its set.  The mixture will be jiggly and will set as it cools.

Cool on counter to room temperature then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.   

TIP: Make sure all filling ingredients are at room temperature.  If they aren't its a booger to get it all blended evenly.  I usually set all the ingredients out overnight to ensure they are equal temperature.

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

My oldest child had her birthday yesterday.  She detests cake, she really does.  No biggy she loves cheesecake and that's a pretty easy one to pull off.  Her order this year was "candy cheese cake".  TH is that?  We talked a bit and came up with peanut butter cheese cake with mini peanut butter cup candies baked into it and as garnish.  WINNER.  Even the cheesecake hater in the house loved this one.

The interwebs were filled with recipes for peanut butter cheese cake, but the crusts were just wrong for what we wanted.  This recipe is a combo of several plus my favorite stand by crust.  Tasty for sure.

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

• 3 c Oreo or similar chocolate creme cookie crumbles
• 1 stick butter
• pinch of salt
• 2 lb cream cheese
• 1 c peanut butter
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2 t vanilla
• 2 T corn starch
• 4 eggs
• pinch of salt
• 2 8 oz bags of mini peanut butter candies
• chocolate syrup

Preheat oven to 350F

Put cookie crumbles and salt in food processor.  Pulse until fine crumbs are created. Drizzle butter over the running processor until all butter incorporated.   Pat into bottom and up 1 inch on the side of a 9" X 3" tall spring form pan.  Bake 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

Put sugar, corn starch, room temperature cream cheese, peanut butter and vanilla in the mixing bowl.  Attach whisk and beat until smooth.  Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, beating until each is just incorporated.

Spray inside of the spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line outside of pan with aluminum foil.  Place prepared spring form into a large pan or roaster. Sprinkle 1 8oz bag of peanut butter candies over the chocolate cookie crust.  Add cream cheese mixture to the spring form pan.  Place in oven.  Fill roaster with hot water about half way up the side of the spring form pan.

Bake 2 hours at 350f.  This cheesecake's top burns easily so you need to keep watch on it.  AT about 1 hour, 1 hour 20 minutes it will be golden brown.  At that point cover loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking.  At end of baking time, turn off oven and crack open the oven door.  Let sit in cooling oven for an hour.  At end of hour put on cooling rack and cool to room temperature.  When room temperature remove sides of spring form pan and then chill in refrigerator.

To serve, garnish with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and add few mini peanut butter cup candies from the remaining bag.

golden brown top prevented from burning with aluminum foil

Pepperoni Roll Crostini

The idea for this isn't entirely mine.  I got the idea from a recent episode of The Chew.  The final execution and twist with slivers of Sun dried Tomato is pure fraz.

To make life easier I grabbed pre-made garlic and herb pizza dough from Fresh and Easy Markets.  Its so much more convenient than making your own from scratch when you don't have hours to devote to rising and punching down and rising.

Pepperoni Roll Crostini

• 2 1 lb boules pizza dough
• 1 6 oz package sliced pepperoni
• 1/2 c shredded Parmesan
• 12 Oz room temperature cream cheese
• 1/2 c chiffonade fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 c thinly sliced sun dried tomato
• Coarse sea salt
• olive oil
• corn meal

Lightly grease a baking sheet and scatter a couple of table spoons corn meal onto it.  Set aside.

Allow pizza dough to come to room temperature for easier handling.  Flour a large bread board.  Roll each boule into a 1/4" thick 12X18" rectangle.

Scatter half of the pepperoni over one of the rectangles.  Sprinkle on half of the shredded Parmesan. 

Take second rectangle and place on top of the rectangle with meet and cheese.  Repeat scattering of pepperoni and cheese.  

From long side of the rectangle begin to roll it up jelly roll style.  Place seam side down on baking sheet.  Cover with tea towel and let rise until double in size, about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375F  Just before baking brush with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.   Bake for 35-40 minutes until deep golden brown.  Cool on wire wrack until room temperature

Slice into 1/4 thick rounds.  Spread softened cream cheese evenly over all the rounds.  Sprinkle chiffonade of basil over all the rounds.  Place sun dried tomato on half of the finished rounds.

2nd layer of dough over the first ready to roll up jelly roll style

Pepperoni roll on the prepared baking sheet ready for to rise until double

Pepperoni Roll sliced into rounds ready for the cream cheese, basil and sun dried tomato layer

Carrot Cake...one even haters will like

Here it is, after a few teasers here is the post you've been waiting for.  Carrot Cake for those who profess to hate it.  Nary a slimy raisin to be found in in it.  Perfect crumb and moistness, the latter enhanced with the pineapple which isn't usually found in a carrot cake.  Its part of the reason I really like this cake, that and the absence of a slimy snot like cooked raisin.

Different from a lot of carrot cakes is that this is baked in a slow oven that allows for very even rising with out a too terribly pronounced dome or high spot in the middle.

The addition of pineapple adds a nice tang to the cake as well as moistness.  I use crushed pineapple and you really need to let it drain well so you get an accurate measurement of pineapple without a lot of liquid to muck up the batter.  I poured a 20 oz can of crushed pineapple into a strainer set over a bowl for an hour to ensure it was well drained.  Et voila it did the trick.

I use a neutral vegetable oil for this cake as I don't want any stray flavors from the oil working its way into the cake. I've used corn oil in the past with good results and no funky flavor additions too.  I would refrain from olive oil or nut oils as they impart flavors that you might not want to the final product.

Carrot Cake

• 2 1/2 c flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 t allspice
• 1 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 2 c sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 3 c (about 3/4 lb) grated carrot
• 1 c crushed pineapple - well drained
• 1 c chopped walnuts

cream cheese frosting

• 2 8oz packages cream cheese at room temperature
• 4 T (half stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 24 oz (about 6 c)  powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract or the seeds of one vanilla pod.

Grease and flour 2, 9" cake pans.  Preheat oven to 325f.

Combine flour, baking powder and soda, salt and spices in a bowl.  Set aside.

Beat oil, vanilla and sugar until well mixed.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well with addition.  Beat 3-4 minutes until light yellow and fluffy.  Reduce speed and fold in dry ingredients in half cup increments until blended.  Fold in Carrot.  Fold in Pineapple. Fold in walnuts. 

Divide batter between the 2 pans.  Bake 45-50 minutes until tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting combine butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.  On low speed add powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time until all incorporated.  Beat on high 1-2 minutes until fluffy.  Thin with water if needed to bring to spreading consistency.  Frost cooled cake layers.

Cooling cakes on a wire rack ensures that the cakes don't have a soggy bottom.  Cooled cakes frost easier with no melting and running of the frosting.

 A dab of frosting in the center of the cake plate ensures it doesn't slip when  you are frosting the cake.  A nice thick layer in the middle ensures frosting in every bite.

The money shot.  All frosted and ready to devour.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

I can't take credit for this creation...its a recipe a friend of my daughter came up with that she shared with me.  It wasn't so much a recipe as a list of ingredients that Kari had to talk me through the procedure so I could get it right.  Pretty easy actually as one cheats and uses pre-made cookie dough to speed up the process.

The only real trick to this cake is to make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. That takes more than just a couple of hours, but actually I leave it on the counter over night to ensure its warm enough. The reason this is so key is that unless the cream cheese is really warmed up it won't beat well and absorb the eggs and sugar.  What you get if you don't follow this step is a curdled mess.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

• 1 pkg graham crackers
• 1 T sugar
• 6 T butter - melted
• 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese - room temperature
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 16 oz pkg prepared chocolate chip cookie dough

Preheat oven to 350F

Take the package of graham crackers and whiz in food processor until it is in fine crumbs.  Add sugar and whirl until blended into crumbs.  Add melted butter and process until it resembles wet sand.  Press into bottom and sides of an 8 " spring form pan.  Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool while making the batter.

Add sugar to cream cheese and beat well until smooth and creamy.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla and beat in well.  Take 4 oz cookie dough and break up into chunks about 1-2 teaspons each.  Fold the cookie dough into the cream cheese batter.  Pour into the spring form pan.

With remaining cookie dough form into balls and place on top of the cheese cake batter.  Don't press in just let them set on top arranging in a circle around the edges with one in the middle.

Bake in 350F oven for 40-45 minutes until the cheese cake is set and just lightly browned on the edges.  Cool then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

 I could have sworn I posted this before, but I can't find it anywhere.  Pardon the duplicate if there is one out there that I missed.

This came about because my wife loves Cherry Pie and I love Cheese Danish.  I created this recipe in my head and did it years ago when we were in the apartment in Valley Village that had an oven barely big enough to fit a pie plate in.  It worked and has been on the list of fun brunch food for us for years.

It is stupid easy to make as I use bought puff pastry sheets instead of taking the day or so to make it from scratch.  (Did that once for bragging rights, but seriously the store bought stuff is pretty marvy).  The sheets are smaller than a pie plate so you do need to roll it out a bit and then use the roller to pull the corners out a bit more.

 The corners won't meet in the middle, but that's OK.  If you stretched the dough to meet there you'd have it too thin and it would burn before the cream cheese filling had set.

 Pick a good Cherry Pie filling.  I've gone through several brands before I found one that I liked.  I really like the Cherry Pie Filling from Fresh & Easy stores based here in suburban L.A.  They have stores in So Cal, AZ and NV...use the handy store locater HERE to find the one nearest you.  Of course you can always use your favorite brand and make the filling from scratch if you so desire.  Just trying to make it a bit easier for you to duplicate what I did.  I like this brand as its not too sweet and the cherry's also have a bit of a sour bite to them.

Lastly leave the cream cheese out over night so it is amply soft for mixing.  Not having it at room temp makes it nearly impossible to beat in the egg and have a light fluffy mixture.


Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

• 1 sheet puff pastry - thawed
• 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese - room temp
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/4 t almond extract
• 1 egg
• 1 can Cherry Pie filling

Preheat oven to 400F

Flour your pastry board well.  Lay down the sheet of puff pastry and gently roll until it will fit into your pie plate.  Give the corners an extra roll or two until they are an additional inch or so further out from the pastry.
Place in pie plate.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, almond extract and egg.  Beat until fluffy.  Pour into prepared puff pastry.

Carefully spoon pie filling over cream cheese mixture.  Pull corners of pastry up and over towards the center of the pie, they won't meet. See picture of the detail.   Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.  Can serve at room temperature as well.

Pineapple Cranberry Spread

Paula Deen wasn't kidding around when she says in the south it either starts with a stick of butter or a package of cream cheese.  I got the recipe idea from my sister Niki still in the Ozarks back in MO.  

Back there those little jars of cream cheese with stuff in it are a popular party treat, usually with Ritz, but I won't go there right now.  The usual hands down favorite is the pineapple variety. Those little jars are really pretty expensive if you stop and think about it and that is why my sister came up with her version. 

Her version is simply a can of crushed pineapple and a block of cream cheese.  Not being one to stay in the lines well I took that as the starting point and created my own version.  With two blocks of cream cheese how bad could it be when you have fruit with it?

Pineapple Cranberry Spread

• 2 8oz packages cream cheese - room temperature
• 1 small can crushed pineapple
• 1/2 c dried cranberry
• 1/4 t ground ginger

Put the cranberry in  a small microwave safe bowl.  Drain off the pineapple juice and pour over the cranberry.  Add just enough water to bring cover the cranberry if needed.  Microwave 1 minute and tightly cover.  Let set at least 1 hour.

With mixer beat in ginger and beat until fluffy.  Add Pineapple.  Drain of any remaining liquid from cranberry and pitch it.  Add cranberry to the bowl.  Cold in the fruit.  Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Serve with crackers or thinly sliced and toasted baguette.

Chocolate Praline Dessert

I'm not sure where I got this from, I suspect it came out of one of my Mom's massive collection of church or PTA cook books. Given the HUGE amount of butter involved I'd guess it was from one of books issued back in Farmington MO when we lived back there in the 70's.

Really a lot of simple steps. Do put aside a long period from start to finish as there are several chilling periods between layers lasting an hour or two each. Fair warning, but the end result is well worth it.

Praline Chocolate Dessert

2 c Oreo cookie crumbs
½ c butter
1 c chopped pecans

Praline
1 ½ c butter cubed
1 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla

Filling
2 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese softened
½ c confectioners sugar
1/3 c brown sugar

Ganache
1 c (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
½ c heavy whipping cream

Pecan halves

In small bowl combined cookie crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of a 9 inch greased springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with pecans.

In large saucepan over medium heat bring butter and brown sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour over pecans. Refrigerate for 1 -2 hours until set.

In large mixing bowl, put filling ingredients until smooth. Spread over praline layer. Refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours until set.

For ganache, in a microwave safe bowl melt chocolate chips with cream, stir until smooth. Cool slightly, spread over filling. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until set. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen, remove sides of pan. Garnish with pecan halves. Refrigerate leftovers. 14-16 servings

Make sure you use a really good chocolate for the ganache. Do be careful with the melting of the higher cocoa solid chocolates as they will burn or seize faster than the usual chips you get at the groc. I used a Valhrona 85% cocoa solid bittersweet chocolate as regular semi-sweet is still to sweet to counter the rich filling and praline.