More Sweets -

[Mama Mangia]

Just Like Sex Cheesecake

Crust:
5 oz Graham cracker crumbs
3 tb Sugar
5 tb Butter melted
Filling:
16 oz Cream cheese softened
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla
pn Salt
2 lg Eggs
3 tb Chambord liqueur

Topping:
8 oz Sour cream
1 tb Sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla
1 tb Chambord liqueur
1 c Raspberries fresh

Preheat oven to 350 Deg. F.

To prepare crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press mixture firmly into bottom of 9" springform or cheesecake pan.

To make filling, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed with electric mixer. Add eggs, and mix until well blended. Using a fork, gently fold Chambord into batter. Pour mixture into crust.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and remove from pan.

To prepare topping, mix sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and Chambord and spread evenly over cheesecake. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Top with fresh raspberries just before serving.

[Mama Mangia]

Lemon Almond Cheesecake w/Biscotti Crust

--- biscotti Crust: ---
2 lg almond biscotti, (3/4 c finely ground)
1/2 c unsalted butter -- at room temperature
1/4 c granulated sugar 1/2 c all-purpose flour
--- Lemon Almond Cheesecake Filling: ---
2 lbs cream cheese
1 c mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 c granulated sugar 2 lg eggs
2 1/2 tsps lemon zest -- finely chopped
2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
--- Garnish: ---
1 c sliced almonds

Make the biscotti crust:

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350¡F.

Place the biscotti in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal
chopping blade. Pulse the machine at 3 to 4 second intervals until the
biscotti are finely ground. Set aside.

In the 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer (such as Kitchen
Aid) using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on
medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and creamy. Add flour
and the biscotti crumbs to the creamed mixture and blend for 30 seconds,
until fully incorporated. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a
9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust until it's golden brown,
approximately 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, place on a wire
rack and allow to cool completely.

Make the cheesecake:

In the 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer (such as Kitchen
Aid), using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed
until light and smooth. Add the mascarpone and sugar and continue to beat
on medium speed until well blended, approximately 2 minutes. Take care NOT
to "whip" much air into the cheese mixture (this will cause the cake to
fall when cooling). With the mixer on medium speed add the eggs one at a
time, scraping down the side of the bowl after each addition. Blend in the
lemon zest and lemon juice.

Pour the mixture on top of the cooled crust. Wrap the 9-inch springform
pan with aluminum covering the bottom and sides so no water might leak
through. Place the springform pan inside a metal roasting pan. Fill the
roasting pan with water, being careful not to splash any of the water into
the cheesecake mixture, until it comes approximately 1/4 of the way up the
side of the springform pan. Bake for approximately one hour, until the
cake has set and the top is golden brown.

Remove the cake from the oven and from the water bath. Place it on a wire
rack and allow to cool slightly. Refrigerate the cake until completely
cooled, 6 hours or overnight.

Garnish the cake:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350¡F.

Place the sliced almonds on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for
approximately 10 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Remove the nuts
from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool. Set aside.

Loosen the cake by running a knife between the cake and the side of the
pan. Remove the cake from the pan and press the sliced almonds around the
sides of the cake. Slice and serve.

[Mama Mangia]

CHOCOLATE TURTLE CHEESECAKE


1 (7 oz) package caramels
1/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup chopped pecans -- divided
1 chocolate crumb pie crust
2 (3 oz) packages cream cheese -- softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1-1/4 cups milk
1 (3.9 oz) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup fudge topping

Place caramels and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium-low
heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes, until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Pour into piecrust. Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Add pudding mix; process about 30 seconds longer. Pour pudding mixture over caramel layer, covering evenly. Chill, loosely covered, until set, about 15 minutes. Drizzle fudge topping over pudding layer in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle top with remaining pecans. Chill, loosely covered, until serving time. Yield: 12 servings.

[Mama Mangia]

Butter Pecan Cream Cheese Bars


Base

2 cups all-purpose flour (self rising flour not recommended)
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans

Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 (6 ounce) package (1 cup) butterscotch chips


Glaze
1 (1 ounce square) unsweetened chocolate, melted


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl blend 2 cups flour, brown sugar and butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Press crumb mixture into 13 x 9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Blend in 2 tablespoons flour and eggs. Pour filling over baked crust. Sprinkle butterscotch chips on top of filling. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes or until firm to touch. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

Makes 32 bars.

[Mama Mangia]

Chocolate Cheesecake


For the crust

2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling

3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup whipping cream
4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

For the topping

Chocolate ice cream syrup


1. Crush the graham crackers. Mix the crumbs with the sugar and melted butter in a nine or ten-inch springform pan. Press the mixture into a crust across the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Put the crust in the refrigerator to set up while you prepare the filling.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the cream cheese with the paddle attachment of your stand-type mixer set at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about five minutes. Add the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and gently cream together until smooth. Do not over beat. Too much air in the filling will cause the cake to sink and crack.

3. With your mixer on the low setting, drizzle in the melted chocolate and mix until combined. (If your filling is too cold, some of the chocolate may set up leaving chocolate flecks in the filling. That’s okay; the cheesecake will not be compromised and the flecks are actually quite attractive.)

4. Pour the cream cheese filling into the crust. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top starts to turn golden and the center of the cake is just barely jiggly. Because it is not as thick, a ten-inch cheesecake will bake more quickly than a nine.

5. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Remove the ring and let the cheesecake cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours.

6. Prior to serving, drizzle the cheesecake with chocolate syrup.

[Mama Mangia]

Snickers Cheesecake


3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon white sugar
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (2.16 ounce) Snickers candy bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press into bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, cream the 3/4 cup of sugar and cream
cheese together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Stir in
chopped candy bar, and pour into baked crust.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let cool and carefully remove the springform pans side.

Makes 1 9 inch springform pan.

[Mama Mangia]

Cherry Pie

2 cups fresh Colorado cherries, pitted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter

Mix flour and sugar, then stir in with cherries. Pour into pastry shell, dot with butter, and cover with pastry top. Bake slowly for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven

[Mama Mangia]

Sugar-Free Cherry Pie

Pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie
5 cups halved, pitted fresh sweet cherries
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon mace
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare the pie pastry. Line the pie pan with the bottom crust, using half of the dough. Keep the remaining dough chilled. Combine the cherries, allspice, mace, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pecans. Mix well. Turn the filling into the crust and dot with butter. Roll out the top crust and lay it on the filling. Trim off any excess dough, crimp the edges, and prick with the tines of a fork to vent. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake 45 minutes more or until golden brown.

[Mama Mangia]

Brownie Nut Slices



2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped, spread on waxed paper

Beat butter, sugar and baking soda in a large bowl with an electric
mixer until fluffy. Beat in egg. With mixer on low speed, beat in
flour and cocoa, half at a time, until blended. Divide dough in half.
Roll each half on a lightly floured surface into 7 inch log. Roll in
nuts until logs are 10 inches long. Wrap each in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours until firm, or up to 1 wk.

When ready to bake--heat oven to 350.

Cut logs in 1/2 inch slices. Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie
sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes just until set and tops look dry. Do not
over bake. Let cool a few minutes before removing to racks to cool.
Store in air tight container.

[Mama Mangia]

Butter Pecan Turtle Bars


1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup milk chocolate morsels

Beat the 1/2 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add 1 cup brown sugar, beating well. Gradually add flour, mixing well. Press mixture into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch pan. Sprinkle with pecans; set aside.

Combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour mixture over crust.

Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 18 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with chocolate morsels. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes; swirl chocolate gently with a knife to create a marbled effect. Cool on a wire rack.

Cut into squares.

Makes 4 dozen.