This is my favorite cheesecake. The recipe comes from the daughters of my wonderful friend Pat Hansen, now deceased. I have several recipes that make me think of Pat whenever I make them but this one is the most delicious. I would post a picture but, to be honest, it has never been around long enough to take a picture.

Download PDF version of this recipe

The Pan

• Butter liberally a 9 inch springform pan
• Line the bottom with a parchment or wax paper circle
• Dust with graham cracker crumbs (about 1/4 cup)
• Preheat the oven to 350°

The Crust
Mix together the following dry ingredients and nuts then the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the springform pan and set aside.

• 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 2/3 cups melted butter (unsalted)

Bake for 10 minutes then take it out of the oven and set aside while you work on the filling.

The Cake Part 1
Using your favorite mixing device cream together all of the following ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the springform pan and flatten. You don’t have to make it perfectly flat. Just distribute it as evenly as you can.

• 2 pounds cream cheese (that’s 4, 8 ounce packages, at room temperature if possible)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Bake for 30 minutes.

The Cake Part 2
While the cake is in the oven mix these ingredients together in the same bowl you used for the cheesecake. You can even scrape up any cheesecake leftovers in the bowl and mix into these ingredients. When the cake has been in the oven for 30 minutes open the oven, pull out the shelf and spread this mixture evenly over the cake. Bake for another 10 minutes.

• 2 cups sour cream
• 3/4 granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Take the cake out of the oven and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Favorite Mac-n-Cheese

This recipe is essentially Martha Stewart’s “Perfect Macaroni and Cheese”. I have made a few alterations based on my own taste. The thing I really like about Martha’s recipe is that the proportions of ingredients seem to be just right. If you have ever made a mac-n-cheese that was like a dense brick of macaroni OR macaroni swimming in white sauce (less likely) then you know what I mean. I have made this probably 6 or 7 times and it comes out the same every time.

Download PDF version

Ingredients

• Liberally buttered 9 X 13 glass baking dish (use metal if you want more crunchy edges)
• 7 slices of fresh white bread with the crusts removed
• 8 tablespoons (1 block) of unsalted butter
• 5 ½ cups whole milk
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg (if fresh, about 4 or 5 swipes of the nut across a grater)
• ¼ fresh ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (Martha’s recipe calls for ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Just not enough for me. I suggest ½ or more. Make it once with ½ and see what you think then adjust to your own taste.)
• 4 ½ cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar ( you may, of course, substitute some other cheese but the salt content and the tanginess of sharp white cheddar is really ideal)
• 2 ½ cups (about 16 ounces) grated Gruyere (Martha suggest you can substitute 1 ¼ cups—or 5 ounces—grated pecorino. I think it’s too salty. I would stick with the Gruyere.)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Remove the crusts from the bread and tear roughly into ¼ to ½ inch pieces. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and toss the bread with the melted butter to give it a little coating. Don’t add more—trust me this is plenty.
3. Peel and crush the garlic roughly. Put into a pot—uncovered—with the milk on medium heat. You want the garlic to steep and for the milk to get hot—not boiling. If it looks like it is about to boil turn it down to low.
4. Boil the macaroni for 2 minutes less time than the instructions recommend. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside to drain.
5. In a large deep pan, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and foamy add the flour and whisk. Cook, while whisking, for 1 minute.
6. Pour the hot milk into the pan through a strainer to remove the garlic pieces. Continue to whisk until the mixture is thick and smooth. This will take about 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Whisk to incorporate completely.
8. Add 3 cups of the grated cheddar and 1 ½ cups of the grated Gruyere cheese and stir until it is completely melted and incorporated.
9. Put the drained and cooled macaroni into the cheese sauce and stir and fold until all the noodles are evenly covered.
10. Dump the mixture into the baking dish and smooth it out (don’t press it down).
11. Spread the rest of both cheeses evenly across the mixture.
12. Spread the bread over the mixture.
13. Place in the middle of the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
14. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Mini High School Carrot Cake

I was given this recipe by someone—I don’t remember who—when I was in high school and I still love it. I just made it again a few minutes ago and this time, in small paper baking cups.

These cups are slightly larger than cupcakes and with straight sides mini panatone cups. It is so easy and quick you will love this.
Download a PDF version

Ingredients

• 9 X 13 glass baking dish, buttered and dusted with flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts would be my recommendation)
• 1 ½ cups canola oil
• 3 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
• 2 cups grated carrots (that’s about 3 ½ carrots)

Method

1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and chopped nuts.
3. Add to the bowl the oil, eggs, pineapple and grated carrots.
4. Mix completely.
5. Pour into the baking dish and smooth out.
6. Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until a knife can be inserted into the center and comes out clean. You may have to adjust this to less time based on your location and humidity. I notice when I bake this in smaller dishes or in small paper cups the baking time has to be reduced by about 4 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before frosting. I don’t like to put frosting on these. Just a dusting of powdered sugar is enough to let people know you didn’t forget the frosting.

Tiramisu

I learned to love this in Italy so I came home and learned to make it. It is a combination of a lot of other recipes with my own twists. I think it is quite good. You decide. I make it when I need cooking
therapy.

Download PDF version of this recipe

This recipe will make one 9 x 13 pan of tiramisu. Best consumed within 3 days of construction but it will be good for almost a week refrigerated.

Ingredients

• 7 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup dry marsala (Wine section—usually near the port. You may use other flavored “spirits” like brandy. I have used Benedictine and it was good but a little too sweet. I suggest you keep it authentic.)
• 8 ounces softened (room temperature) mascarpone (plain—no flavored stuff)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups brewed espresso
• 2 ounces good, semisweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup rum (light rum, not too expensive but not crap either—bacardi works fine)
• 2 teaspoons real (natural) vanilla extract
• 50 or so ladyfingers
• Cocoa powder for dusting
• A 9 x 13 square glass baking dish

Making the pieces

1. Chill a glass bowl in the freezer. You will whip the cream in this bowl.
2. Put the glass baking dish in the refrigerator to chill.
3. Leave the mascarpone on the counter to bring it too room temperature.
4. Make the espresso. If you are making it yourself, use Italian roast or French roast. Something dark and strong.
5. Drop the chocolate in pieces into the hot espresso. Stir it to incorporate the melted chocolate into the espresso. Add the rum and vanilla and mix. If you need to heat the espresso slightly to melt the chocolate that is fine but don’t boil it. Set it aside to cool.
6. In a large double boiler, with a wire whisk, cream together egg yolks, sugar and salt. Add the marsala slowly while whisking over gently simmering water. Be sure the water is not too hot. You don’t want scrambled eggs. Continue to whisk. The mixture will double in volume and become very smooth and thick. Take off of the double boiler and set aside to cool to about room temperature. This mixture is called zabaglione. This process usually takes me about 10 minutes.
7. While the zabaglione is cooling down, whip the cream in the chilled bowl to soft peaks.
8. Stir the mascarpone into the zabaglione until completely incorporated. Fold in the whipped cream—gently.

Assembly

1. Spread a thin layer of the zabaglione mixture in the chilled glass dish.
2. Give the espresso mixture a good stir to be sure the chocolate is not all at the bottom of the dish.
3. Quickly dip the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture being careful to not over soak them. They will soak up the espresso very quickly. I usually give each side a 3 second dip. You might consider dipping one then breaking it in half to see if it is soaked through. You don’t want mush but you also don’t want a crunch in the middle.
4. Place the lady fingers in a layer in the glass dish. Cover with a good amount of zabaglione mixture.
5. Repeat. I recommend layering in the opposite direction. You should have two layers of lady fingers covered with zabaglione mixture.
6. Refrigerate the tiramisu for at least 4 hours. Lightly dust with cocoa right before serving. If you want, you may  sprinkle with semisweet chocolate shavings instead but . . . I think that is just too much.

My favorite ginger molasses cookie from Mom. Christmas is not complete without them.

Ginger Cookies

Download a PDF version

Dry Ingredients:
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (or more) ground ginger (I like 3 tablespoons myself)
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients together well in a large bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients together separately.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Form dough into balls about 1 inch diameter.
6. Roll balls in sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 13 minutes for chewy for 15 minutes for crispy cookies.
8. Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to paper towels to completely cool.