Yum Kosher

cookie dough cheesecake

rivkye — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 06:17:55 +0000

Some words just make your mouth water – and cookie dough is one of them! This cake won first prize in a contest years ago and with good reason! I already decided that this will be the cheesecake I serve my guests this Shavuos. Well, maybe one of the cheesecakes…. You see, my friends Shirley and Chaim Cohen eat by us the first night of Shavuos each year. Every year when I invite Shirley, I tell her that I don’t know if and what we’ll eat because I don’t know when I’ll have time to cook, and she always answers me with a laugh “that’s OK, we’ll have 4 courses of cheesecake!” And she’s not joking – it’s my family that would have an issue with that…..

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups crushed chocolate chip cookies or chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
FILLING:
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten

COOKIE DOUGH:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter.
Press onto the bottom and 1 in up the sides of a greased 9-in. pan. Place pan on a baking sheet; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust; set aside.
In another bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add water and vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls over filling, gently pushing dough below surface (dough should be completely covered by filling). Place pan on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove sides of pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 12-16 servings.

Nutrition Facts: (do you really want to know??) 1 slice equals 551 calories, 36 g fat (22 g saturated fat), 131 mg cholesterol, 328 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 8 g protein.

recipe credit: Taste of Home

photo credit: Taste of Home

pecan cheesecake pie

rivkye — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 05:55:38 +0000

Pecan pie and cheesecake all in one bite! Who could resist this? I got this recipe from Devorah Newhaus many years ago, but like everything else, I found it on the internet with a picture!

INGREDIENTS

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

1 ¼ cups chopped pecans

3 large eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine the cream cheese, 1 egg, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and salt. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
Pour the cream cheese mixture into piecrust.
Next, chop the pecans (not too fine) and sprinkle them evenly over the cream cheese layer.
In a medium bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar, corn syrup, 3 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
Whisk everything together until it’s well combined and pour the mixture over the pecans. Place the pie on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 on the lowest oven rack for 50 to 55 minutes or until the pie is set.
Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour).
Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 2 days.

photo credit: Jennifer Davick

neopolitan cheesecake

rivkye — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 05:30:52 +0000

Someone recently asked me if I have any cheesecake recipes to share for an upcoming publication. I said they could take anything off my website, but she said there wasn’t much there. What???? I checked and she was right! I guess the Shavuos/cheesecake season with late nights and long work hours, doesn’t leave much time for blog writing! I am trying to rectify the situation, and you’re all welcome to share your favorite recipes here as well.

Who doesn’t like the Neopolitan ice cream combination? Not only does it look enticing, the flavors are familiar and comforting. This cake has won awards and ribbons around the country. The recipe called for a 9-inch springform pan but I think it is more impressive in the 8-inch because the layers won’t be so flat. You can choose between the two. Happy Baking!!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted,divided
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, divided
2 1/2 ounces white chocolate, divided
1/3 cup mashed or blended sweetened strawberries
2 teaspoons shortening, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine crumbs and 3 tablespoons of butter; press onto the bottom of an ungreased 8-in. springform pan or one piece cheesecake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes; Cool.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time just until mixed. Add vanilla

3. Divide batter into three portions, about 1 2/3 cups each. Melt 2 squares semisweet chocolate (I microwave them at 50% power
for 1-2 minutes to get them melted); stir into one portion of the batter. Spread dark chocolate mixture evenly over crust. Freeze pan for 1 hour before proceeding.

4. Melt 2 ounces of white chocolate; stir into second portion. Carefully spoon this layer on top of the dark chocolate layer. Freeze for 20 minutes before proceeding.

5. Stir strawberries into the remaining batter. Carefully spoon it on top of the previous 2 layers.

6. Bake cheesecake on the lowest shelf in the oven, in a water bath, at 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. The center of the cake should jiggle. It will set as it cools. If the cake is no longer frozen when it goes in the oven, you can bake it on the 2nd to bottom shelf in the oven.

7. Remove from oven. Cool for several hours or overnight.

8. Run a knife around edge of pan and remove cake from pan.

9. Melt remaining semisweet chocolate, remaining butter and 1 teaspoon of shortening; cool for 2 minutes. Pour over cake. (note: this amount of chocolate will only coat the top of the cake).

10. Melt remaining white chocolate and shortening then drizzle over glaze.

11. Refrigerate until cold before serving.

recipe credit: Taste of Home

photo credit: Lusenda

mini blini’s

rivkye — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:24:18 +0000

These are a take on the classic cheese blintze – fun to make and a huge crowd pleaser! I’ve served them at large parties and small family dinners alike, always with great results. The recipe makes quite a bit (about 100 2.5-ich pieces), and they freeze beautifully. Heat covered in the oven before serving.

INGREDIENTS

2 — (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 — egg yolks

1 cup sugar

2 loaves sliced white bread, crust removed

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1 cup Sugar

DIRECTIONS

Beat together cream cheese, egg yolks, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Roll bread slices as thinly as possible with a rolling pin. Spread with cream cheese mixture. Roll up and dip in melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Remove Mini Blini from freezer and cut each piece in half. Place on a baking sheet and bake 10 to 13 minutes or until heated through.

my food addiction was engineered

rivkye — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:31:15 +0000

It’s unbelievable how much goes into food creation and how the industry is bent on keeping me eating! I’m looking forward to Pesach! No processed foods if I can help it!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/03/05/f-vp-crowe-food-addiction.html

matzah almond brittle

rivkye — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:50:29 +0000

Since we eat gebrokts in our family, recipes with matzah meal, matzah farfel, and cake meal, are not problematic. For those that only eat on the last day, this is a nice treat and easy to make on Yom Tov as it does not require a mixer.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups matzo farfel
Vegetable oil for brushing pan (unless using nonstick liner)
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons salted butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (5 ounces), toasted

DIRECTIONS

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread matzo farfel in a large shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and toast, stirring and shaking pan occasionally, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, then cool pan and line with parchment paper.

Bring sugar, water, and salt to a boil in a deep 2- to 2 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring slowly until sugar is dissolved. Boil gently, without stirring but washing down any sugar crystals on side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup begins to turn golden. Continue to boil, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup is a deep golden caramel. Immediately remove pan from heat and carefully stir in butter with a wooden spoon (mixture will rise up and bubble vigorously). When bubbling begins to subside, immediately stir in toasted matzo farfel and almonds and quickly pour into baking pan, spreading and smoothing with back of spoon before mixture hardens.

Transfer baking pan to a rack. If using a foil-lined pan, cool brittle to warm in pan, then peel off foil and transfer brittle to rack to cool completely. If using nonstick liner, cool brittle completely in pan. Break brittle with your hands into bite-size pieces, or make into a topping: Break into large pieces with your hands, then put brittle in a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag, seal bag, force out excess air, and lightly pound with a rolling pin into smaller pieces.

Brittle keeps in an airtight container in a cool, dry place 1 week.

recipe credit: Gourmet Magazine April 2004

photo credit: Sang An

apple compote

rivkye — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:16:20 +0000

I know this sounds elementary, I mean who doesn’t know how to make compote? Compote is a dessert which is generally a concoction of cooked fruit with sugar and spices. It is the staple of desserts. I don’t think there is a time when I don’t have a container of homemade compote in the freezer. When my family is full after a meal, there’s always room for compote. I generally use apples and serve it with a sprinkling of sliced or slivered almonds, but anything goes! Peaches, pears, rhubarb, strawberries, plums, or a mixture of the above - you name it. Peel the fruit, slice it and put it in a pot. Add water about 1/4 – 1/3 way up, put in a handful or two of sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit and how sweet you like it. You can always add more water and more sugar if needed. Then add in a few cinnamon stick and let it cook on a low flame for a couple of hours. With apples, the longer you cook it, the more it will melt into applesauce and even turn pink. When plums are in season, I add some to the mixture (pitted but not peeled) and the mixture turns a gorgeous magenta color. Let me know what your favorite compote combination is!

matzah stuffing for chicken or veal

rivkye — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:03:56 +0000

At any given time, I usually have baggies of challah stuffing in my freezer. I use them to stuff chicken capons, veal breast pockets, and deboned chicken drumsticks. On Pesach, when I serve my holiday delicacies, I like to have matzah stuffing as a stand-in for my traditional stuffing.

INGREDIENTS

2 medium onions, chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1/4 cup oil
6 square matzahs, broken in 1/2″ pieces
4 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsely
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cook onions, celery, and carrots in oil until they begin to brown 8-10 minutes. Run water over matzah until softened. Drain water by squeezing matzah between the palm of your hands. Add 1/2 of the vegetable and the eggs, parsely and spices. This recipe is enough to stuff 4 cornish hens or 1 veal breast pocket.

Topping for chicken/veal: Puree 1 small onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 Tbsp oil, 2 tsp paprika, 1 1/2 tsp salt, dash of pepper

homemade pesach pickles

rivkye — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:57:53 +0000

As far back as I can remember, my mother has made her own pickles for Pesach. It was a tradition she got from her mother, no doubt because they did not use Passover vinegar or fresh garlic. I can’t say that I liked them, so I never continued the tradition. Her pickles would sit for weeks in the boiler room and then on the window sill throughout Yom Tov. They were soft and mushy inside (practically alive!) and I stayed far away from them. Now my brother has experimented with his own version and this is the first year that I am attempting my own jars of fresh homemade pickles for Pesach.

INGREDIENTS

fresh dill
4 garlic cloves
2 lbs. Persian cucumbers
jalapeno peppers, optional, whole or cut, with or without seeds (wear gloves!)
4 tablespoons salt
cold water to fill jar
If you use kosher for passover vinegar, you can use equal amounts of water and vinegar, and cut down the salt to about 2 Tbsp.

DIRECTIONS

They are quite simple to prepare. First, I bought a couple of 8-cup “ball” brand jars with a 2 pc screw on cover. While preparing the cucumbers, I soaked the rubber part of the cover in hot water. Start by putting the dill and garlic cloves on the bottom of the jar. Top with cucumbers and jalapeno peppers. Pour salt into the jar, fill with water, and tightly screw on the cover. Store in a cool dry spot for 2-3 weeks. Store jar upside down for the first 24 hours. When pickles are to your liking, store in the refrigerator.

note: The pickles were delicious (albeit a bit salty). By request, I will have to make more next year!!

chocolate covered coconut macaroons

rivkye — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 04:45:35 +0000

It’s time to pull out the Pesach recipes and plan what to make for the upcoming festival! This pyramid shaped confection is the first on the list of many recipes which have become a favorite of my friends and family.

Ingredients

3 cups (lightly packed) sweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup egg whites ( about 6 large)
1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) or 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions

Mix first 3 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture appears somewhat pasty, stirring constantly, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Spread out coconut mixture on large baking sheet. Refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Line another baking sheet with parchment. Press 1/4 cup coconut mixture into pyramid shape (about 1 1/2 inches high). Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining coconut mixture. Bake cookies until golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack and cool.

Set cookies on rack over rimmed baking sheet.

Stir chocolate and cream in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Mix in remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Spoon glaze over cookies, covering almost completely and allowing chocolate to drip down sides. Refrigerate until glaze sets, at least 2 hours.

(Can be made 1 day ahead and kept refrigerated in an airtight container, or freeze.)

recipe credit: Bon Appetit Sept 2002

photo credit: blessyourheartva.blogspot.com