Blackberry Cheesecake
I love cheesecake. Growing up I would go blackberry picking in my neighborhood. There was always some area with overgrown blackberry bushes. Picking up my childhood sandbox bucket I would set myself to the task of bringing home a bucketful of blackberries. Not many would make it home and the evidence would be all over my face.
INGREDIENTS
40 Crushed Vanilla Wafers
6 Tablespoons Melted Butter
16 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese
¾ Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Creamed Cottage Cheese
¼ Cup Cherry Brandy
3 Eggs
4 Cups Fresh Blackberries
1 Tablespoon Cherry Brandy
1 Tablespoon Sugar
In a medium bowl stir together crushed vanilla wafers and butter. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of an 8 inch spring form pan and set aside. In a large bowl stir together cream cheese, ¾ cup sugar, flour and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low until smooth and set aside. Place the cottage cheese in a food processor and blend until smooth. Sit into the cream cheese mixture. Next, stir in the ¼ cup cherry brandy. Beat in the eggs on low speed until combined. Don’t over mix as you don’t want to incorporate too much air into the batter. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Pour half of the cheese cake mixture into the crust lined pan. Spread 1 cup of the blackberries on top. Top with the remaining cheese cake mixture and ½ cup of the blackberries. Place in a shallow baking pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until center appears almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Loosen the sides and cool completely. Cover and chill for 2 hours. To serve cut the cheesecake into wedges and top each with the blackberries. Serves 10
Cannoli
A Sicilian pastry dessert that originated in the Palermo region where cannoli were prepared during Carnevale season as a symbol of fertility. The pastry eventually became a year round dessert throughout Italy although in Italy they are commonly known as cannoli siciliani. Cannoli are sometimes called cannolis which is not the correct term. Cannoli is the proper plural and cannolo is the singular (cannolu in Sicilian means little tube).
INGREDIENTS
Shells:
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
¼ Cup Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3 Tablespoons Shortening
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
½ Cup Sweet Marsala Wine
1 Tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Egg White
1 Quart Oil For Frying
Cream:
2 Pounds Ricotta Impastata
½ Pound Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon Oil
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Ounces Chocolate Chips
In a medium bowl mix together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the shortening until it is in pieces no larger than small marbles. Make a well in the center and pour in the egg, egg yolk, Marsala wine, vinegar and water. Mix until the dough becomes stiff then knead on a clean surface. Feel free to add a bit more water if needed. Knead for 10 minutes and then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Divide the dough into thirds and flatten each one just enough to get through the pasta machine. Roll the dough through successively thinner settings until you have reached the thinnest setting. If you don’t have a pasta machine then you will need to keep rolling the dough until it is super thin. Place the sheet of dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a form or a large glass or bowl, but out 5 inch circles. Dust the circles with a light coating of flour. This will help you later in removing the shells from the tubes. Roll the dough around the cannoli tubes. Seal the edge with a bit of egg white. The cannoli tubes are crucial. Ask your local Italian grocer where you can get them. Many kitchen stores carry them or go online and find them. The tubes are 6 to 8 inches long, hollow and stainless steel.
Heat the oil to 375° F in a deep fryer or a deep heavy skillet. Fry the shells on the tubes a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Use tongs to turn as needed. Carefully remove the shells using the tongs and place on a cooling rack set over paper towels. Cool just long enough that you can handle the tubes. Carefully twist the tube to remove the shell. Using a towel may help you get a better grip. Wipe off the tubes and use them for more of your shells. Repeat the frying process until you have fried all of the shells. Cooled shells can be placed in an airtight container and kept for up to 2 months. You should only fill them immediately or up to 1 hour before serving.
For the cream add the Ricotta Impastata, sugar, cinnamon oil and vanilla extract into a mixer on medium speed. Mix for 2 minutes. In the last ten seconds add the chocolate chips. The filling for the cannoli are made from a high quality Impastata Ricotta Cheese which is a type of ricotta that has been drained of almost all of its moisture. It is smooth and has a very fresh taste. It keeps for a long time in the refrigerator and will not make the cannoli soggy due to the lack of moisture. If you cannot find Impastata Ricotta, then you can use the Sorento Ricotta Cheese from the grocery store. You will have to drain it overnight to reduce the moisture in the cheese.
Makes approximately 30 cannoli
Blueberry Pie
What is better than Blueberry Pie? Answer: Two Blueberry Pies!
INGREDIENTS
2 Rolled Out Rounds of Basic Pie Dough
4 Cups Blueberries
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
¾ Cups Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
½ Teaspoon Finely Grated Lemon Zest
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Cold Butter
Fold 1 dough round in half and carefully transfer it to a 9 inch pie dish. Unfold and ease the round into the pan without stretching it. Pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Using kitchen scissors ( I can’t live without kitchen scissors), trim the edges of the dough, leaving ¾ inch of an overhang. Set the dough lined pie dish aside, along with the other dough in a cool place until you are ready to use it. Place the blueberries in a large bowl, sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss to coat evenly. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the berries and toss to distribute evenly. Immediately transfer to the dough lined pie dish. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot the top of the blueberry mixture with the butter.
Fold the reserved dough round in half and carefully position it over half of the filled pie. Unfold and trim the edge neatly, leaving 1 inch of overhang. Next fold the edge of the top round under the edge of the bottom round and crimp the edges to seal. Using a small, sharp knife, cut an asterisk 4 to 5 inches across in the center of the top to allow the steam to escape during baking. You may also use a pie bird if you like. Refrigerate the pie for 30 minutes until the dough is firm. Meanwhile position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375° F. Bake the pie, with a baking sheet underneath to catch drips, for 50 to 60 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 1 to 2 hours to completely set. Serve at room temperature. Makes one 9 inch pie. Serves 8
Double Pie Crust
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
2/3 Cup Shortening
8 Tablespoons Cold Water
In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Roll out to fit a 9 inch or 10 inch pie plate top and bottom. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to ½ inch beyond the edge of the plate; flute the edges. Fill shell according to recipe directions and top with the second round. Crimp the edges and bake according to recipe directions.
Blueberry Crumble Pie
Summer was created for blueberries and what a great way to honor summer than to make a blueberry pie! This recipe is made with a crisp and crunch crumb topping which is the perfect match for a juicy berry pie filling.
INGREDIENTS
1 Basic Pie Dough
¾ Cup Plus 5 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
2/3 Cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1 Stick (8 Tablespoons) Cold Unsalted Butter
5 Cups Blueberries
Put your oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400° F.
Roll out the dough and transfer to a 9 inch pie pan. Refrigerate until firm. Line the chilled piecrust with a piece of aluminum foil. Fill with dried bean, pie weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 15 minutes until the pie crust dries out. Carefully remove the weights and the foil. Reduce the heat to 350° F and continue to bake for another 5 minutes until the crust is lightly browned on the edges and dry looking on the bottom. Transfer the pie crust to a wire rack.
Increase the heat to 375° F. In a large bowl, stir together the ¾ cup of flour, 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, the 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and salt. Cut the butter into ¾ inch pieces and scatter the pieces on top and toss around with a fork or your fingers to coat with the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the ingredients together until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs that are the size of large peas. Set the topping aside.
In a separate large bowl, combine the blueberries, the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 4 tablespoons of the flour. Gently stir to coat the blueberries evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar over the bottom of the prebaked pie crust. Pour the filling into the crust, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the blueberry filling. Bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the blueberry filling just begins to bubble. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature. The pie is best served the day it is baked. Makes one 9 inch pie. Serves 12
Single Pie Crust
INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
½ Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Shortening
4 Tablespoons Cold Water
In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Roll out to fit a 9 inch or 10 inch pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to ½ inch beyond the edge of the plate; flute the edges. Fill or bake shell according to recipe directions.
Victoria’s Cherry Pie
Cherry pie is one of my favorite things to eat! Homemade cherry pie is one of life’s treats!
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour (Plus More For Dusting)
3 Tablespoons Plus 1 Cup Sugar (Divided)
¾ Teaspoons Salt (Divided)
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Cup (2 Sticks) Butter (Cut Into Small Cubes – Chilled)
7 Tablespoons Ice Water
2 Pounds Fresh & Pitted Cherries
3 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Milk
In a large bowl combine flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and cinnamon. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until butter is the size of small peas. To ensure the butter is cold enough, chill in the freezer for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. I you do not have a pastry cutter you can use two knives to cut in the butter. Stir in the ice water with a fork just until combined and the dough holds together. Form the dough into two 5 inch discs. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until cold, but not completely firm.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough into a 12 inch circle. Transfer to a 9 inch pie pan. In a large bowl, toss together cherries, cornstarch, 1 cup of sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Spoon the cherry mixture into the dough lined pan and set aside. On the same lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining disc of dough into a 10 inch circle and cut into ½ inch wide strips. Top the cherry mixture in the pan with the dough strips, weaving them in and out to make a lattice crust and then crimp the outside edge of the crust. If you don’t want a lattice crust you can just make a normal top crust like I have done in the photo above. Brush the crust all over with milk and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Arrange on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Yes, you will have drips so be sure to set the pie pan on the baking sheet. I like to use a pie bird to let out the steam. If you don’t have a pie bird or pie vent then cut slits in the top crust (if you are not using a lattice crust). Bake for 1 ¼ hours or until bubbly and golden brown. Set aside to let cool before serving. Serves 12
Cherries Jubilee
Cherries Jubilee is one of my favorite desserts that was created for one of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee celebrations (Golden Jubilee 1887 or Diamond Jubilee 1897). Made with cherries and liqueur, typically Kirschwasser, which is subsequently flambéed and served over vanilla ice cream.
INGREDIENTs
½ Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
¼ Cup Water
¼ Cup Orange Juice
1 Pound Pitted Bing Cherries
½ Teaspoon Finely Grated Orange Zest
¼ Teaspoon Cherry Extract
¼ Cup Brandy
3 Cups Vanilla Ice Cream
Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Stir in the water and orange juice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk until thickened. Stir in the cherries and orange zest, return to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. While the cherries are cooking spoon the ice cream into serving bowls. Remove the cherries from the heat and stir in the cherry extract. Pour in the brandy and ignite with a long lighter. Gently shake the pan until the blue flame has extinguished itself. Spoon the cherries over the bowls of ice cream. Serves 6
Strawberry Trifle
Trifle is a dessert made from thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, gelatin, cream, wine, port or sherry and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers with fruit and sponge on the bottom with custard and cream on top. There is no “set in stone” recipe so feel free to be creative.
INGREDIENTS
For The Syllabub:
2/3 Cup Dry White Wine
2 Tablespoon Sherry
Zest and Juice of One Lemon
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 ¼ Cups Heavy Cream
For The Sponge Cakes:
4 Separated Eggs
¾ Cup Plus 2 Tablespoon Sugar
¾ Cup Unbleached Flour
4 Tablespoon Softened Butter
For The Custard:
2 Cup Milk
2 Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
1 Cup Dry White Whine
3 Tablespoons Sherry
9 Cups Strawberries
For the syllabub put wine, sherry, lemon zest and lemon juice into a large bowl. Stir to combine and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
For the sponge cakes preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Put the egg yolk and ¾ cup of sugar into a large bowl and whisk until thick and pale yellow. In separate large bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks and add remaining sugar to the egg whites. Whisk again to stiff peaks. Add 1/3 of the egg whites and 1/3 of the flour and 1/3 of the butter to the egg yolk mixture and gently fold together. Repeat twice more with the remaining egg whites, flour and butter. Spoon a heaping ¼ cup of the batter onto a prepared baking sheet. Repeat to make 8 large circles in all, evenly spaced apart which should be about 4 on each baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until cakes are light golden brown and bounce back when touched. Transfer to a rack to cool.
For the custard bring milk to a boil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Put eggs, egg yolk and sugar into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour the milk into a large bowl while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from becoming scrambled. Transfer mixture to the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 13 minutes and stir constantly until thickened. Strain the custard into a medium sized bowl and set aside to let cool.
To assemble your trifle place 4 sponge cakes in the bottom of a 14 cup glass bowl. Overlap the cakes slightly. Pour half of the wine and half of the sherry over the cakes and press firmly to soak up the liquid. Repeat with the remaining cakes, wine and sherry. Top the cakes with 5 cups of the strawberries and pour the custard over the strawberries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 7 hours or overnight. Remove and throw away the zest from the syllabub. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the cream and beat to form soft peaks. Top the trifle with the syllabub and then heap the remaining strawberries on top. Serve immediately.
Serves 8
Sticky Toffee Pudding
This English steamed dessert consists of a very moist sponge cake that is made with chopped dates and covered in a toffee sauce. Sticky Toffee Pudding is considered an English classic and is thought to have developed somewhere in the south of England and made accessible by The Gait Inn at Millington (East Yorkshire), England in 1907.
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Stoned & Finely Chopped Dates
6 Ounces Boiling Water
1 ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
6 Ounces Self-Rising Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Lightly Beaten Large Eggs
3 Ounces Softened Butter (Plus Extra For Greasing)
5 Ounces Demerara Sugar
2 Tablespoons Black Treacle
3 ½ Ounces Milk
SAUCE
6 Ounces Muscovado Sugar
2 Ounces Butter (Cut Into Pieces)
8 Ounces Heavy Cream or Double Cream
1 Tablespoon Black Treacle
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Butter and flour 6 individual ramekins or use a deep square baking dish. Put the chopped dates into a large glass bowl and fill with boiling water to soak for 20 minutes. Once the dates are soft add the vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking soda into a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. In small amounts at a time add the beaten egg to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix well between additions. Add the black treacle and beat well. Now fold in 1/3 of the flour and then 1/3 of the milk and repeat until the flour and milk are all in the butter mixture. Add the chopped dates including the liquid in the bowl and stir gently. The mixture will resemble a thick batter. Divide the mixture between the ramekins (or deep square baking dish) and place on a baking sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes for the individual puddings or 45 to 50 minutes for the deep square baking dish. The cake should be raised and firm to the touch. Make sure not to over bake. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out.
To make the sauce: Over medium heat melt the butter, sugar and half of the cream in a saucepan. Increase the heat slightly and bring to a boil while stirring constantly until all of the sugar has dissolved. Add the treacle and allow the sauce to bubble for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 1 minute. Now stir in the remaining cream.
To serve place an individual pudding or a portion from the baking dish onto a warm individual serving dish. Drizzle generous amounts of sauce over the pudding. You can serve with either ice cream or custard. Serves 6
Rhubarb Fool
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Rhubarb (Trimmed & Cut Into 6” Lengths)
3 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
½ Cup Plus 1 Tablespoons Sugar
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Soak the rhubarb in 9 cups of cold water for 25 minutes. Drain the rhubarb and pat dry. Cut crosswise into ½ inch slices. In a medium saucepan combine the orange juice, ½ cup sugar and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the prepared rhubarb to the saucepan. Bring mixture back to a boil and then reduce heat to a medium-low. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until rhubarb is tender and starts to break apart. Rhubarb pieces should be remaining and not a total puree. Transfer rhubarb to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate from 2 to 24 hours. When ready to assemble, beat the whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of sugar together until cream forms soft peaks. To assemble, spoon ¼ cup of the rhubarb mixture in 8 ounce glasses. Top with ¼ cup of the whipped cream. Repeat with another layer of rhubarb and whipped cream. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 6 hours. Serves 4
Meringue
There are several types of meringue. The sweetened, uncooked beaten egg whites that form the “islands” of Floating Island (also known in French as Ile flottante), the partly cooked toppings of lemon meringue pie and other meringue pie and other meringue-topped desserts, and the classic dry featherweight meringue. Different preparation techniques produce these results. French meringue is the method best known to home cooks. Fine white sugar is beaten into egg whites. Italian meringue is made with boiling sugar syrup, instead of white sugar. This leads to a much more stable soft meringue which can be used in various pastries without collapsing. In an Italian meringue, a hot sugar syrup is whipped into softly whipped egg whites until stiff. This type of meringue is safe to use without cooking. It will not deflate for a long while and can be either used on pies and Baked Alaska, or spread on a sheet and baked for meringues. Swiss meringue is whisked over a bain-marie (water bath) to warm the egg whites, and then whisked steadily until it cools. Then it is baked.
INGREDIENTS
2 Egg Whites
¼ Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
1 Pinch Salt
½ Cup Sugar
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Preheat oven to 375° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat on high speed until stiff. Beat in sugar one tablespoon at a time. Fold in vanilla. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Place in oven and turn oven off. Leave in the oven for 5 hours. Makes 12
