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DESSERTS
New Delhi Style Cheesecake 1 large container ricotta cheese 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. cardamom 2-3 tbsp. rose water 1/4 cup milk 1 cup Half and Half Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat all ingredients except Half & Half into a smooth paste in a large bowl with hand-held mixer. Pour into baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees 35-40 minutes until center is firm. Cool 10 minutes, cut into squares, pour half and half over it until covered. Refrigerate overnight or at least a few hours. Use more Half and Half when serving to make it moister if you want ********************************************************************************* White Velvet Chocolate 8 oz. imported white chocolate, chopped 1 3/4 cups whipping cream 4 tbsp. light corn syrup 3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped Mint leaves Stir white chocolate, 1/4 cup cream and 2 tbsp. syrup in saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour into a bowl and allow cooling to lukewarm. Beat 3/4 cup cream with electric mixer to firm peaks. Fold cream into the white chocolate mixture in 2 batches. Divide mousse among 4 custard cups. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Bring remaining 6 tbsp. cream and remaining 2 tbsp. corn syrup to simmer in heavy saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low, add semi-sweet chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Spoon enough sauce over each mousse to cover completely. Garnish with mint leaves, and with a dollop of chocolate whipped cream. ********************************************************************** Kataifi [pronounced kah-tah-EE-fee] 1 pound of kataifi dough, defrosted per package instructions 1/2 pound of butter, melted For the filling: 1 cup of walnuts, coarsely chopped 1 cup of almonds, coarsely ground 1/2 cup of fine granulated sugar 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves 1 egg white, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon of brandy For the syrup: 2 cups of sugar 1 1/4 cups of water 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice thin strip of lemon peel 4 whole cloves 1 tablespoon of thin honey Prepare the syrup: Heat the water in a saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the lemon juice, peel, and cloves, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the honey. Remove from the heat, strain, and set aside to cool. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling and blend well with a wooden spoon. A word about kataïfi dough:This dough comes commercially packaged in a long strip, about 3 inches wide. To prepare it for this recipe, lay the long strip out on a clean work surface and divide it into 18-24 pieces, gently spreading the strands out a bit if they clump together. Each piece will be used to create an individual kataïfi roll. Keep unused dough covered with a piece of waxed paper and a damp towel on top of that to keep it from drying out. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Brush a strip with melted butter. Place a tablespoon of the filling at one end of the strip and roll up into a cylinder, tucking in any stray pieces of dough. Take care to roll the pastry tightly so that the filling is securely enclosed. Place the rolls seam side down in a lightly buttered baking dish, close together but not squashed, and brush well with remaining butter. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown and crispy looking. Remove from oven, pour cool syrup over the pastry and cover with a clean towel. Let cool about 3-4 hours as it absorbs the syrup. ******************************************************************* Easy Kataifi 3 lbs. shredded wheat cereal 6 cups walnuts chopped fine 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1-1/2 lbs. sweet butter melted 6 cups sugar 3-1/2 cups water juice of 1 lemon Spread out half of the shredded wheat on a greased pan, and pour half melted butter over them. Mix nuts and cinnamon together and sprinkle over shredded wheat. Add the remainder of the ingredients, and pour remainder of butter over top. Bake for 45 minutes in oven 300 degrees. Make syrup by combining sugar, water and lemon juice in saucepan. Cook for 20 minutes making sure sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool before pouring over kataife. Cool before serving. Serves 10-12. ********************************************************************* Tiramisu Cheesecake Crust: 2 cups crushed lady fingers 1 stick butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon Kahlua or other coffee flavored liqueur Filling: 2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese at room temperature 1 (8 ounce) container of mascarpone cheese at room temperature 1 cup sugar 3 large eggs 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon Kahlua or other coffee flavored liqueur 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath. 2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or also up the sides of the pan. Set crust aside. 3. Combine cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy. 4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Cover bottom securely with foil and place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. 5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. It should still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. After one hour, let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the refrigerator to chill before serving Top this cheesecake with some whipped cream and chopped dark chocolate sprinkled over the top.Serves 8-10. ******************************************************************** Candied Ginger Pumpkin Pie 1 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree 1 14-oz. can fat-free sweetened condensed milk 4 large eggs 1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice pinch of salt 1/3 cup chopped candied ginger Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree and sweetened condensed milk. Whisk in eggs, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour filling into graham cracker crust and bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle chopped ginger on top and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until knife inserted in side of filling (not center), comes out clean. Cool and refrigerate 3 hours, or overnight. **************************************************************** Tangy Hibiscus Sorbet 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 4 oz. dried hibiscus flowers Zest and juice of 1 lemon Bring 5 cups water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in flowers and lemon zest. Cover and let steep for one hour. Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Strain syrup and discard solids. Chill in the ice bath. When it is cool, stir in lemon juice. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. ********************************************************************** 5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE 4 tablespoons flour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 egg 3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) A small splash of vanilla extract 1 large coffee mug (Microwave) Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. **************************************************************************** Indian Pudding 6 cups of milk 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup molasses 3 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup of granulated sugar 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 1 teaspoon of nutmeg 1 cup golden raisins (optional) Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream Scald the milk and butter in a large double boiler. Or heat the milk and butter for 5 or 6 minutes on high heat in the microwave, until it is boiling, then transfer it to a pot on the stove. Keep hot on medium heat. Preheat oven to 250°F. In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, and salt; stir in molasses. Thin the mixture with about 1/2 cup of scalded milk, a few tablespoons at a time, then gradually add the mixture back to the large pot of scalded milk. Cook, stirring until thickened. Temper the eggs by slowly adding a half cup of the hot milk cornmeal mixture to the beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Add the egg mixture back in with the hot milk cornmeal mixture, stir to combine. Stir in the sugar and spices, until smooth. At this point, if the mixture is clumpy, you can run it through a blender to smooth it out. Stir in the raisins (optional). Pour into a 2 1/2 quart shallow casserole dish. Bake for 2 hours at 250°F. Allow the pudding to cool about an hour to be at its best. It should be reheated to warm temperature if it has been chilled. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves 8-10. ******************************************************************** |
Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 Cup Crisco 1 Cup oleo 2 Cups sugar 8 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese 4 tsp vanilla 4 Cups flour 2 tsp salt ½ Cup chopped pecans 1 large pkg. chocolate chips (12 oz) Cream together Crisco, oleo, sugar, and cream cheese. Fold in vanilla, flour and salt, and mix well. Add pecans, and chocolate chips. Bake at 350F for 10 – 12 minutes Yield: 6 dozen These freeze very well, and just remove the number needed. ******************************************************************************** Saragli (a Greek Christmas cookie similar to baklava but rolled) 2 cups walnuts, chopped 2 cups almonds, chopped 1 pound Phyllo dough (sheets) 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 2 cups melted butter, salted (better to have more on hand than this, maybe 3 cups) Big squeezable bottle of honey Directions: Mix nuts with sugar and spices. With a pastry brush, butter five (5) sheets of phyllo dough (one sheet at a time - lay each buttered sheet on top of the other). Butter the top sheet generously. Sprinkle two (2) handfuls of nut mixture over entire top sheet of phyllo. Roll the sheet lengthwise, like a cinnamon roll - be sure to butter the part of the roll that comes in contact with the end of the sheet - this will keep the roll "stuck together" - kinda like sealing an envelope. Cut the roll into 1-inch slices. Arrange slices onto a buttered (or PAM'ed) cookie sheet. Spoon 1 teaspoon melted butter on top of each cookie. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. As soon as you pull the cookies out, spoon another teaspoon of melted butter on top of each cookie (this is optional and I don't do this with my cookies), then follow with a teaspoon (or more to suit your tastes) of honey onto each (be sure they are still HOT when you do this - it will draw the honey and butter into the cookie). Let cool on a wax-paper-covered cooling rack. ********************************************************************************* Coffee Fruitcake 3 /12 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 lb dried currants (3 1/3 cups) 1 lb raisins (3 cups) 1 cup lukewarm strong coffee 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened 2 cups packed light brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 cup molasses (not robust or blackstrap) Special equipment: 2 (9- by 5- by 3-inch) loaf pans Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F. Brush loaf pans lightly with oil, then line bottom and sides with foil, pressing corners to help adhere. Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg into a large bowl. Toss currants and raisins with 2 tablespoons flour mixture in a bowl. Stir together coffee and baking soda in a small bowl until dissolved. Beat together with butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and coffee mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just smooth. Fold in dried fruit mixture. Divide batter between loaf pans and smooth tops by gently rapping bottom of each pan against counter. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of each cake comes out clean, 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 hours (cakes may sink slightly in center). Cool pans on racks 10 minutes, then loosen foil from sides of pans with knife and turn out cakes onto racks. Peel off foil and cool cakes completely, about 3 hours. Makes 2 loaves. *******************************************************************************Scottish Shortbread Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream 1-cup butter and ½ cup sugar until blended and stiff. Stir in 2-½ cup flour. Chill 1 hour. Divide in half. Roll out and either cut with shapes or shape by hand, placing cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. (You may also spread out in a square pan as one sheet and use a fork to perforate servings before baking. When finished, pieces will break apart along perforations. (Traditional method.) Prick with fork. Bake 30 minutes per sheet. Cool completely before removing from pan. Yield: approximately 42 cookies ********************************************************************************** Old Fashioned Penuche (Brown sugar Candy) This is a creamy brown sugar fudge. The name penuche (peh-noo-chee) is Mexican for raw sugar, or brown sugar. Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter (margarine really doesn't work in this) 2 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups packed firm, dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 2 ounces white chocolate 1 1/2 cups walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped Grease 8x8 metal baking pan. Line bottom and sides with foil, and grease foil. In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, add cream, granulated sugars, brown sugar and corn syrup. Heat to boiling over high heat stirring fequently, until sugar completely dissolves. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to wash down sugar crystals on sides of pan. These sugar crystals could make your fudge grainy instead of creamy. Alas I had to eat many of these grainy fudge mistakes. Set a candy themometer in place and continue cooking without stirring until the temperature reads 238 degrees F or soft ball stage. Remove the sauce pan from heat. Cool mixture to 210 degrees F about 8 minutes without stirring. Sprinkle white chocolate over mixture and let stand one minutes. Add walnuts and stir with wooden spoon until chocolate and nuts are incorporated, but do not over mix. Immediately pour mixture into pan. Do not scrape sides of saucepan. Cool candy in pan 30 minutes. Lift foil and candy out of pan and place on a cutting board. While warm, slice candy into 8 strips, and then cut each strip into 8 pieces. Cool completely. Store at room temperature in tightly covered container. Use wax paper between layers. Lasts up to 3 weeks and makes about 2 1/4 pounds of candy or 64 pieces. ******************************************************************************* Lemon Squares 1 Cup Flour 1/2 Cup Butter 1/4 Cup Powedered Sugar Sift flour and sugar into a bowl. Blend in butter with clean fingertips until well mixed. Pat evenly into the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Meanwhile, beat together: 2 Eggs 1 Cup Granulated Sugar 1/2 TSP. Baking Powder 2 1/2 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice Dash of Salt Pour over baked crust and return to oven for 20 - 25 minutes at same temperature. Cool on rack. Cut into squares. Sprinkles with sifted powdered sugar. Serves 16 - 2 x 2 inch squares. ************************************************************************** CARDAMOM COFFEE CAKE 2 c. soft butter 2 c. light brown sugar 4 eggs 2 tbsp. vanilla 2 c. sour cream 4 c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder 2 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2 tsp. powdered cardamom 1/2 tsp. salt Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamon, and salt. Add sour cream and flour mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in each addition just enough to blend. Don't beat or over mix! NUT MIXTURE: 1/4 c. light brown sugar 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1/2 c. chopped walnuts Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts.Spoon 1/3 of the batter into a well buttered tube or bundt pan, then 1/2 of the nut mixture, then 1/3 batter, then remaining nuts, then remaining batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until brown on top and dry when you insert a probe all the way down. Turn onto a plate after 10 minutes of cooling. ***************************************************************************** Sweet Currant Rolls 1/2 cup currants 5 cups whole wheat or unbleached white flour 1 1/4 cup 98F apple juice 6 Tbs. honey 3 Tbs. safflower oil 1 Tbs. yeast Combine honey, warm (98F) apple juice and yeast in a large bowl. Set aside until it becomes foamy; approximately 10 minutes. Mix in 2 cups of flour and stir thoroughly. Use a clean cloth to cover the bowl. Allow the mixture to rise for 30 minutes. Mix in currants, safflower oil and adequate flour so the dough can be kneaded. Knead the dough on a floured surface until becomes not too sticky. Put the dough in another bowl and cover as above. Put bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for one hour. Use parchment paper to line two large baking sheets. Return dough to floured surface and separate into 18 pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball. Put shaped balls on the baking sheets at a distance of 1 to 2 inches apart. Cut a couple of slashes on the top of each ball. Cover the baking sheets with the same cloth, put into a warm location and allow to rise for 10 minutes. Preheat the over to 375F. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the rolls turn brown just lightly. ************************************************************************ |