Spray a 10 inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray with flour, line bottom with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick baking spray with flour. Set aside. FOR CRUST: in a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, pretzels and sugar. Add melted butter, stirring to combine. Using the bottom of a measure cup press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Place pan in freezer while preparing filling. FOR FILING: In the work bowl of a food processor, combine strawberries sugar and
Thyme. Pulse until smooth. In another large bowl, beat cream cheese at high speed with an electric mixer until creamy, approximately 3 minutes. Add yogurt and confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth. Add strawberry mixture to yogurt mixture, beating to combine. Add whipped topping, beating until smooth. Spoon mixture into prepared crust. Freeze 4 hours. Remove bottom and sides of pan. Garnish with strawberries and thyme, if desired. Cover, and freeze up to 1 week.
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THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.
1 package (5 ½ ounces) tubular shaped pirouette cookies (about 24)
Pour boiling water on gelatin in large bowl; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Reserve 3-5 berries for garnish. Place remaining berries in food processor work bowl fitted with steel blade or in blender container. Cover and process until smooth. Stir berries into gelatin. Refrigerate until very thick but not set, about 1 hour. Beat gelatin mixture on high speed until think and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat 1 cup of the whipping cream in chilled bowl until stiff; fold into gelatin mixture. Pour into spring form pan, 9 x 3 inches. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Run knife around edge of dessert to loosen; remove side of pan. Place dessert on serving plate. Beat remaining whipping cream in chilled bowl until stiff. Spread side of dessert with half of the whipped cream. Carefully cut cookies crosswise into halves. Arrange cookies cut side down, vertically around side of dessert; press lightly. Garnish with remaining whipped cream and berries.
10-12 servings
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Cream butter and sugar; separate eggs. Add well beaten yolks and stir thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together; add alternately with water and syrup. Beat thoroughly. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Divide batter between greased and floured layer pans. Bake at 375 degrees F about 25 minutes.
Burnt Sugar Syrup:
1 1/3 cups sugar
½ cup water
Put sugar in heavy pan. Cook over low and stir constantly until melted and brown. Add ½ cup water and continue cooking until lumps are dissolved.
Burnt Sugar Icing:
6 tbsp. burnt sugar syrup
4 tbsp. butter
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Heat syrup and butter until butter is melted. Beat in sugar and flavoring slowly until icing is of good spreading consistency. Frost Cake.
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Cut orange in half; remove and discard seeds. Squeeze 1/3 cup juice from orange; set juice aside. Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add orange halves, raisins, and 1/3 cup walnuts. Process until finely chopped; set aside.
Cream shortening; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in raisin mixture.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Drizzle reserved orange juice over cake. Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar, ¼ cup walnuts, and cinnamon; sprinkle over warm cake. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Yield: 15 servings.
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1 ½ cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 12 sheets)
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ cups plus 5 tbsp. sugar
1 pint (6 oz.) fresh raspberries
2 lbs. cream cheese, room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 32 cups of standard muffin tins with paper liners. For crumb crust, stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter and 3 tbsp. sugar; press 1 tbsp. mixture into bottom of each cup. Bake until set and beginning to color at edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool.
Puree raspberries in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Press through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Whisk in 2 tbsp. sugar.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add remaining 1 ½ cups sugar in a slow stream. Mix in salt and vanilla until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each (do not overmix) and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
Spoon 3 tbsp. filling over crust in each cup; tap pans on counter to set filling. Drop 2 dots of raspberry puree about 1 inch apart on each. Drag the tip of a toothpick or wooden skewer through centers of each dot to create a heart.
To bake, set tins in roasting pans. Pour hot water to halfway up side of tins. Bake until set, about 34 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate cheesecakes in tins (uncovered) at least 4 hours; remove from tins using an offset spatula. Cakes can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 5 days.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make cake mix according to directions. Bake in greased and floured bundt pan. Cook cake then slice horizontally, making a total of 4 pieces (for 3 layers). For filling, in mixing bowl whip heavy cream until peaks form. Add mascarpone cheese and white frosting, mix well but do not overbeat. Add red food coloring until desired color is achieved. Place bottom slice of cake onto a waxed paper-lined serving platter; frost with mascarpone mixture. Repeat layers. Add strawberry flavor to chocolate frosting, mix well. Frost sides of cake with chocolate frosting, sealing cut edges. Microwave leftover frosting to drizzle over top of cake. (Add drops of milk to loosen, if needed.) Remove wax paper; chill. Before serving add strawberries to center of cake.
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THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.
There is still time for you to make this for your Valentine!
Valentine Chocolate Heart Cake
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups self-rising flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
3 eggs
Scant ¾ cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
2/3 cup light cream
Fresh mint sprigs, to decorate
Filling & Topping:
8 oz semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
Generous 1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp seedless raspberry jelly
Generous 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch wide heart shape cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a large bowl. Beat the eggs with the sugar, oil and light cream. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture, then stir to mix thoroughly, beating to a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on a wire rack. For the filling and topping, place the chocolate and heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and stir until the mixture cools slightly and begins to thicken. Use a sharp knife to cut the cake in half horizontally. Spread the cut surface of each half with the raspberry jelly, then top with about 3 tablespoons of the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle over half the raspberries and replace the top, pressing down lightly. Spread the remaining chocolate mixture over the top and sides of the cake, swirling with a spatula. Top with the remaining raspberries and decorate with mint springs or decorate creatively!
Serves 12
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Unsalted butter, at room temperature for greasing pans
½ cup sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting the pans
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
¾ cup full-fat plain yogurt (preferably not Greek yogurt)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, or 1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Red Wine Syrup
½ cup sugar
½ cup red wine
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
4 cups (16 ounce box) confectioners’ sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
Making the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and side of two 9-inch round cake pans. Dust with cocoa powder to coat, then invert and gently tap out any excess. Whisk together ½ cup cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and table salt in a large bowl to combine. Chocolate should be melted gently, using low heat and frequently stirring. On the stove top, Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan with a couple of inches of gently simmering water. Stir the chocolate often until it is almost completely melted, about five minutes. Stir in the melted chocolate, yogurt, butter, water and eggs until moistened and no lumps remain (be careful not to overmix). Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the layers are domed and fragrant, and a few moist crumbs cling to a skewer inserted in the center of the cake, 35 to 40 minutes.
Making the syrup:
Combine the sugar, wine, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and set aside to steep, covered, for at least 20 minutes. Strain the cinnamon sticks and cloves form the finished syrup. Use the syrup warm or at room temperature.
Coat the layers with red wine syrup; pierce the cakes, still in their pans, at one-inch intervals with a skewer or a paring knife. This creates channels for the syrup to seep into the cakes. Then, pour or generously brush the syrup over the surface of the hot layers, dividing it between them as evenly as you can. Transfer the soaked layers (still in their pans) to a wire rack to cool completely. When they are cooled and are no longer wet to touch, one to two hours, carefully turn them out of their pans and assemble.
Making the frosting:
Combine the butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt and 2 cups of the sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar and beat on medium speed until the frosting is pale and no longer grainy, about 2 minutes. On the stove top, Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan with a couple of inches of gently simmering water. Stir the chocolate often until it is almost completely melted, about five minutes. In a slow, steady stream, drizzle in the melted chocolate and beat until the frosting is very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate and frost top. Place next layer on top and frost top and sides. Decorate as desired.
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If you enjoy Red Velvet Cake, then you will fall in love with this cheesecake.
Red Velvet Cheesecake
Crust:
1 2/3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
½ cup butter, melted
Filling:
1 pound semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup butter, melted
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 (1 ounce) bottle red food coloring (2 tablespoons)
5 large eggs
Topping:
1 ½ cups sour cream
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10 x 3 inch springform pan. Mix the chocolate crumbs, sugar and butter together in a small bowl. Press into the bottom and 2 inches up the side of the springform pan. Bake 5 minutes. Let cool while you make the filling. Do not turn off the oven.
To make the filling: Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted. Set aside to cool. Combine the cooled chocolate mixture, cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream, sugar, buttermilk and food coloring in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at high speed until the filling is smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs one at a time, just until combined. Pour into the cooled crust. Place the filled springform pan on a baking pan. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the cake appears set when gently shaken.
To make the topping: Mix the sour cream, sugar and vanilla together in a small bowl. Spread over the cheesecake. Return to the oven, and cook for 5 minutes. Cool and chill for 6 hours or overnight before serving.
Makes 16 servings.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Twist open 13 Oreos and scrape the filling into a small bowl. In a food processor, grind the separated chocolate cookies until fine; alternatively, put them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine. Chop the remaining 8 Oreos into large chunks. Put the Oreo filling in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and brown sugar and mix on medium speed until smooth and well blended, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until completely combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, scraping the bowl if necessary to incorporate the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and mix on low speed until evenly distributed. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the Oreo chunks with a spatula. The dough should be smooth, dense and somewhat pliable. Using a small ice-cream scoop or tablespoon, drop well rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time, until the centers look dry but are still soft. When cool enough to handle, transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies will keep for 2 to 3 days.
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THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.
Precious Art By Precious People 