Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd

I found this recipe on another one of my favorite sites, Taste and Tell and was just itching for a chance to try it out. I decided to make it for Thanksgiving and LOVED it! Oh wow. It would rival any Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. The lemon curd on top was divine and good enough to eat alone. This was best the next day so make sure you give it plenty of time to chill before you plan to serve it. My only complaint was that the crust was a bit soggy, but not bad enough that it was gross and not any soggier than a crust at Cheesecake Factory. Oh, and I have to mention that my cheesecake didn't crack! It came out perfect (which never happens for me). I simply loved this cheesecake. It definitely filled my Cheesecake Factory void (I haven't been since August...) Oh, and Caden loved this cake as much as me! He probably ate half of my slice!

CRUST

5 ounces Animal Crackers

3 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and kept warm

FILLING

1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 oz.) sugar

1 tablespoon grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 1-2 lemons

1 1/2 pounds (3 8-oz. packages) cream cheese, cut into 1 inch chunks, at room temperature

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

LEMON CURD

1/3 cup juice (from about 2 lemons)

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) sugar

2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

FOR THE CRUST

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325F.

2. In a food processor, process the animal crackers until you have fine crumbs. You should have about 1 cup.

3. Add in the sugar and pulse.

4. In a steady stream, add the butter while pulsing, about 10 1-second pulses.

5. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly into the bottom.

6. Bake until fragrant and golden brown. The instructions say 15 to 18 minutes, but mine was done at about 12 minutes, so keep an eye on it. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.

7. When cool, wrap the pan with 2 18-inch square pieces of foil. Set the pan in a roasting pan.

FOR THE FILLING

1. Process 1/4 cup of the sugar and the lemon zest in a food processor until the zest is broken down and the sugar turns yellow. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the rest of the sugar.

2. In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese to break it up and soften it slightly, about 5 seconds.

3. With the machine running, add the sugar mixture in a slow stream; increase the speed to medium and beat until combined, creamy and smooth - about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Reduce the speed to medium low and add the eggs, 2 at a time. Beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl before each addition.

5. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and salt and mix to combine.

6. Add the cream and mix until incorporated, about another 5 seconds.

7. Give the bowl a final scrape and pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan.

8. Fill the roasting pan with enough water to make it about halfway up the sides of the pan.

9. Bake until the center jiggles slightly, the sides start to puff, and the surface is no longer shiny, about 55 to 60 minutes. The center should read about 150 degrees F.

10. Turn off the oven and prop the door of the oven open with a potholder or wooden spoon. Allow the cake to cool in the water bath in the oven for about an hour.

11. Transfer the springform pan to a wire rack and run a small paring knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Let it sit to room temperature for 2 hours.

FOR THE CURD

1. While the cheesecake is baking, heat the lemon juice in a small non-reactive pan on medium heat until hot, but not boiling.

2. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, then gradually whisk in the sugar.

3. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot lemon juice into the egg/sugar mixture, then return the mixture to the saucepan and continue to heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 170 F and is thick enough to cling to the spoon, about 3 minutes.

4. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add in the cold butter and mix until incorporated.

5. Stir in the cream, vanilla and salt, then pour through a strainer(I didn't do this) into a small nonreactive bowl.

6. Cover the surface of the curd directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

TO ASSEMBLE

When the cheesecake is cool, top it with the lemon curd while still in the springform pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, but 24 hours is better. To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan and cut into wedges.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and needed something easy for dinner group this week and this fit the bill. I had everything on hand or could easily substitute stuff and how can you possibly go wrong with pasta? And I'm so glad I tried it because I loved this! The sauce tasted like something straight out of a fancy Italian restaurant.... it was amazing. The flavor was fantastic and the dish didn't end up being spicy at all. I've changed the recipe just a bit as I did find the sauce to be a bit runny and decided to add some sour cream to thicken it up a bit. How much sour cream you use is definitely up to you. I used about 2 cups cream and 1 cup sour cream. I also added some more cajun sesoning at the end. This is definitely going to be a regular dish in our house.

3/4 pound bowtie pasta (or whatever pasta you have on hand)

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, plus more to taste
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
3 red bell pepper, sliced
3 green bell pepper, sliced
12 fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 green onion, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 -2 cups sour cream (you want to plan on 3 cups, between the sour cream and cream)
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Slice the chicken into strips or large chunks and place in large skillet. Sprinkle liberally with Cajun seasonings as you cook and saute the chicken in butter or margarine until almost tender (5 to 7 minutes). Another alternative is to place the chicken and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic bag and shake to coat and then saute it.

3. Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms and green onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat. (I varied the recipe here by cooking my chicken until done and removing it to a separate plate and then adding my veggies. I find that I always cook my peppers too long and wanted to cook them as needed without worrying about whether my chicken was done or overdone.)

4. Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper and Parmesan cheese, and more cajun seasoning to taste. Heat through. Add the cooked linguine, (and your set aside chicken if you cooked it like me) toss and heat through. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Cabinet Mountain Inn Rolls

2 pkg (4 1/2 tsp) fast rising active yeast
2 c warm water
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1 tsp salt
4 plus c flour

Dissolve yeast in water; set aside 10 minutes. Blend in sugar, shortening, salt, and flour; knead well. Dough will be sticky; add more flour if needed until workable (I add quite a bit). Place dough into a buttered pottery bowl; cover with cloth and let rise in warm place for 1 hour. Remove cloth; punch down and roll into 2 inch balls. Place in buttered muffin tins or baking pan and let rise 1 hour or until doubled. Bake at 375 or until lightly golden. Makes 24 rolls. These are our favorites!

Note: If I do them in a large baking pan, I will sometimes drop the temperature to 350 and cook a little longer to make sure the middles are cooked.

S'more Brownies

Yummy Yummy! I can't even tell you how amazingly delicious these are. I got them on Kraft's website and I am in LOVE! It is now a family staple.

10 graham crackers, broken in half (20 squares), divided
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
4 squares Unsweetened Chocolate
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
2-1/2 cups Miniature Marshmallows (I used about 5 cups)
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Make It
HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil; grease foil. Place 15 grahams in pan, overlapping slightly. Break remaining grahams into pieces; set aside.
MICROWAVE butter and chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min.; stir until melted. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour. Pour over grahams in pan.
BAKE 30 to 32 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Bake 3 to 5 min. or until marshmallows begin to puff. Press reserved graham pieces gently into marshmallows. Cool. Use foil to remove brownies from pan before cutting to serve.

Home made Bread

I admit...I am a bit of a "molly mormon" I LOVE to make my own bread. I can't stand store bought bread anymore. This is my absolutely favorite recipe, too.

7 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Yeast

1/3 cup oil

2-3 cups of warm water

The way I do it is:

Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixer's bowl. Make a well in the center and add the oil. Attach to your mixer and let the mixer mix in the oil. With the mixer still on, start slowly pouring the water in. You don't want it too sticky or too dry....I usually end up using 2.5 cups of water. Let the mixer do it's thing for about 3-5 minutes (until the dough has cleaned the sides of the bowl).

Next...turn on your oven for 1 minute to a high degree. Place the mixing bowl with the dough in it and a cloth covering it, into the oven. Let rise for 1.5-2 hours.

Then...Punch it down. Separate the dough into 2 equal portions. Roll out each portion in a long rectangle. Roll it up jelly roll style and tuck in the ends. Place in a greased bread pan. Turn on the oven again for 1 minute and place the loaves in the oven with a cloth covering them again. Let rise for about 30 minutes (if you let them rise too much you get humongous loaves that aren't very easy to work with) Take them out of the oven and turn the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 18-25 minutes. Until they look nice and golden brown. Take them out of the pans IMMEDIATELY and put on a wire rack to cool. Cut with an electric knife for the best results when the bread is completely cooled (about 3-4 hours) Enjoy!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

I found the recipe for the cupcakes on the Nestle site and then decided to frost them with an Orange cream cheese frosting I found on allrecipes. The combination was amazing! These are easily the prettiest cupcakes I've ever made but they also tasted amazing. Be sure and try this frosting. It's sooo good!

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
3 large eggs
1/2 cup Halloween candy corn (about 40 to 50 pieces)

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Paper-line 20 muffin cups.

MICROWAVE 1 cup morsels in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat sugar, pumpkin, oil, milk and eggs in large mixer bowl until smooth. Beat in melted chocolate. Stir in flour mixture. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.

BAKE for 22 to 27 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove to racks to cool completely.

Frost cupcakes with this and top with pieces of Candy Corn Bark.

FOR CANDY CORN BARK:

LINE baking sheet with wax paper.

MICROWAVE remaining morsels in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute;

STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.

POUR onto prepared baking sheet. Spread into 8-inch square. Sprinkle with candy corn. Tap sheet several times to settle candy corn into chocolate. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm. Break into 20 pieces.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese with Ham

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound elbow pasta, cooked and drained
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)
Nutmeg
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded yellow cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
8 ounces ham, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 white sandwich bread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta, and drain; reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.

Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne & nutmeg, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham.Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes (see note, below left). Set aside.

(This topping is the best and would be great on anything where you need a breaded topping....cheesy, crunchy, yum!) In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes

I always add nutmeg. Just add a dash or two. It adds a kick without making you think. Hmmm...there's nutmeg in this. Also, the cyanne pepper is a really great addition. I just add all one kind of cheese.

Enjoy....Em