here's a couple ideas for dinner party desserts -
CHOCOLATE-GLAZED IRISH CREAM CHEESECAKE
Serving Size : 12
CRUST:
6 each graham crackers
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
FILLING:
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temp
7 Tbsps sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
6 Tbsps Irish cream liqueur
6 Tbsps sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
GLAZE:
1/2 cup whipping cream
9 ozs good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
GARNISH:
1 oz white chocolate curls (estimated qty)
raspberries for garnish (~2-3)
sprig mint for garnish
CRUST:
1. Oven to 350°
2. Finely grind graham cracker; add butter & blend till combined.
3. Press crust mixture into bottom (NOT SIDES) of a 9" springform pan.
4. Bake crust till golden brown, ~8 min.
FILLING:
1. Using an elect. mixer, beat cream cheese & sugar till smooth. Add flour, then the eggs, one at a time, beating till just combined.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Pour filling into the pan & bake for 10 min. at 350°.
4. Reduce oven temp. to 250° and continue baking till set, ~40 min. longer.
5. Cool. Cover & chill in refrigerator overnight.
GLAZE:
1. Bring cream to a simmer; remove from heat & add chopped chocolate.
2. Stir till melted.
3. Cool till glaze is lukewarm.
COMPLETING:
1. Once cheesecake is chilled, remove the sides of the springform pan & place the cake on a rack set over a b. sheet.
2. Pour glaze over the cheesecake, spreading w/offset spatula to cover top and sides; allow excess to drip onto the sheet.
3. Let glaze set before serving.
GARNISH:
Place slice of cheesecake back of plate, top w/white chocolate curls. On either side, place 3 berries and a mint sprig.
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CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON TORTE
Serving Size : 16
2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup butter -- softened
2 lg eggs
2 Tbsps ground cinnamon
2 2/3 cup flour
3 squares semisweet chocolate
4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup cocoa
Tear 14 sheets of waxed paper, each ~ 9 1/2" long. On one sheet, trace
bottom of 9" round cake pan. Evenly stack all sheets w/pattern on top.
Cut out circles.
Into large bowl measure the first 4 ingred. & 2 cups of the flour. With
mixer at low speed, beat ingred. till well mixed, constantly scraping
bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to medium; beat mixture 3 min.
or till very light & fluffy, occasionally scraping bowl. With spoon,
stir in remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Preheat oven to 375°. With damp cloth, moisten one large or two small
cookie sheets. Place two waxed-paper circles onto large cookie sheet, or
one on each small cookie sheet. With metal spatula, spread a scant 1/3
cup dough in a very thin layer onto each circle. Bake 8-12 min. till
lightly browned around the edges.
Remove cookie sheet to wire rack; cool 5 min. With pancake turner,
carefully remove cookie still on waxed paper to wire rack to cool
completely. (Allow cookie sheet to cool before spreading waxed-paper
circles w/more dough. The more cookie sheets you have the faster you
can bake the cookies.) Repeat till all dough is baked. Stack cooled
cookies carefully on flat plate; cover with plastic wrap & store in cool,
dry place.
EARLY IN DAY OR DAY AHEAD:
Coarsely grate chocolate squares; set aside. In large bowl with mixer at
med. speed, beat cream & cocoa till soft peaks form.
Carefully peel off paper from one cookie; place on flat cake plate;
spread w/about 1/2 cup whipped mixture. Repeat layering till all
cookies are used, ending with whipped mixture on top.
Pile grated chocolate on top of cake; refrigerate till serving time or
at least 3 hours before serving so cookies soften for easier cutting.
NOTES : This dessert is beautiful, rich, delicious and time consuming,
but definitely worth the effort.
Description:
"I have no idea where I got this recipe."
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or -
CRÈME BRÛLÉE
Cooks Illus. Classic recipe
Serving Size : 8
4 c chilled heavy cream
2/3 c granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
12 lg egg yolks
8 to 12 tsp Turbinado or Demerara sugar
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position & heat oven to 300°.
Combine 2 cups cream, sugar, & salt in med. saucepan; with paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan, submerge pod in cream, & bring mixture to boil over med. heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. Take pan off heat & let steep 15 min to infuse flavors.
Meanwhile, place kitchen towel in bottom of large baking dish or roasting pan & arrange eight 4- to 5-oz. ramekins (or shallow fluted dishes) on towel. Bring kettle or large saucepan of water to boil over high heat.
After cream has steeped, stir in remaining 2 cups cream to cool down mixture. Whisk yolks in large bowl till broken up & combined. Whisk ~1 cup cream mixture into yolks till loosened & combined; repeat w/another 1 cup cream. Add remaining cream & whisk till evenly colored & thoroughly combined. Strain thru fine-mesh strainer into 2-qt. measure cup or pitcher (or clean medium bowl); discard solids in strainer. Pour or ladle mixture into ramekins, dividing it evenly among them.
Carefully place baking dish w/ramekins on oven rack; pour boiling water into dish, taking care not to splash water into ramekins, till water reaches 2/3 height of ramekins. Bake till centers of custards are just barely set and are no longer sloshy & temp. probe read 170° to 175° degrees, 30-35 min. (25-30 min. for shallow fluted dishes). Begin checking temp. ~5 min. before recommended time.
Transfer ramekins to wire rack; cool to room temp, ~ 2 hours. Set ramekins on rimmed baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, & refrigerate till cold, at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
Uncover ramekins; if condensation has collected on custards, place paper towel on surface to soak up moisture. Sprinkle each with ~ 1 tsp. turbinado sugar (1 1/2 tsp. for shallow fluted dishes); tilt and tap ramekins for even coverage. Ignite torch & caramelize sugar. Refrigerate ramekins, uncovered, to re-chill, 30-45 min. (but no longer); serve.
Serving Ideas : Misc. notes from Cook's Illus. article: Separate the egg and whisk the yolks after the cream has finished steeping; if left to sit, the surface of the yolks will dry & form a film. The best way to judge doneness is w/a digital instant-read thermometer, but if baked in shallow fluted dishes, they will not be deep enuf for accurate reading.
NOTES : This recipe easily halves to make 4 brûlées.
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I'll stop now...
