CRUST
Combine 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tablespoons sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter. Press onto bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Bake at 350* for 5 min. Cool.
CAKE
3 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 C. Sugar
1/2 C. sour cream
2 t. vanilla
3 T. flour
3 eggs
1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 C. sugar
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. vanilla
3/4 C. caramel (ie. marzetti apple dip)
1/2 chopped pecans
Prepare graham crust; set aside. Combine cream cheese, 3/4 sugar, sour cream & 2 t vanilla in large mixer bowl; beat on medium speed until smooth. Add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, blending well. Add eggs; beat well. Combine cocoa and 1/4 C sugar in small bowl. Add oil, 1/2 t vanilla and 1 1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture; mix until well blended.
Spoon chocolate cream cheese mixture onto graham crust and spread evenly. Mix caramel and pecans; spread on top of chocolate mixture.
Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of caramel, spread carefully and evenly. Bake at 450* for 10 minutes; without opening oven door, decrease temperature to 250* and continue to bake 30 minutes. Turn oven off; let cheesecake remain in oven 30 min without opening oven door. Remove from oven; loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely.
GANACHE
1/2 C milk chocolate chips
1/2 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C. heavy cream
Place ingredients in small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. whisk until smooth. Spread ganache on sides with a frosting knife, and on top fo cake. Let some ganache run down sides of cake. Sprinkle with extra pecans, and drizzle with extra caramel.
4 C. blueberries, stemmed, rinsed and drained
3 C. water
3 C. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon (optional)
1/4 t. nutmeg (optional)
lemon juice
1- Pour the blueberries into a saucepan and crush them with a potato masher or wooden spoon until most of the skins are broken.
2- Add 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer.
3-Turn heat down to low and cook the berries for 5 minutes at a simmer
4- Pour the berries into a strainer lined with two layers of cheescloth and let the blueberry juice drip through.
5- Twist the cloth to extract all the juice, there should be at least 2 cups. You might want to wear gloves if you don't want purple hand for the next few days.
6- Throw away the berry pulp.
7- Combine the remaining 2 C water with the sugar in a medium saucepan.
8-bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear.
9-boil the syrup, without stirring, until it reaches 260 degrees on a candy thermometer. This will take a long time.
10-Add the blueberry syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg to the sugar syrup and bring the mixture back to a boil
11-boil for 1 minute. Let the syrup cool, then add lemon juice to taste..
12- Pour the syrup into pint jars and refrigerate if you plan to use it in a month or two. Otherwise can it by processing in hot water bath for 30 minutes.
I don't remember where I originally got this recipe, but I have tweaked it to suit my tastes. You can always do the same. Enjoy.
A Chinese restaurant favorite can now be made at home. Very easy and very good.
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
2-3 green onions chopped very fine
1/4 c. crab meat, chopped very fine (imitation meat can be used)
dash salt
wonton wrappers
oil for cooking
Mix first 4 ingredients, taste to make sure it suits you, adjust if needed. Put a small dab in the middle of a wonton wrapper. Put a small amount of water around the edges and draw up corners to the middle, press to seal shut. Do several and set aside until ready to cook. Heat oil until hot and put 2-3 into the oil and fry until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
* Many recipes call for garlic and soy sauce. I prefer it without, but you can always put those in to your taste.
