Cranberry Vanilla Cheesecake

Crust
12 vanilla sandwich cookies, broken into pieces (i.e. Vienna fingers)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Filling
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 ( 8 ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
4 large eggs

Topping
1 ( 12 ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup frozen cranberry juice cocktail, thawed
1/4 cup water

Crust: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Wrap outside of 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4 inch high sides with foil. Blend cookies, butter and sugar in processor until crumbs stick together. Press crumbs on bottom and halfway up side of prepared pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Set aside.

Filling: Using tip of small sharp knife, scrape seed from vanilla beans into small saucepan; add beans. Add cream. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Set aside uncovered, and cool to room temperature. Discard beans. Blend cheese, sugar and slat in processor until very smooth, stopping often to scrape down sides of work bowl. Add vanilla cream mixture, blend. Add eggs; process 5 seconds. Transfer filling to crust. Bake cake until sides puff slightly and center is just set, about 50 minutes. Place uncovered hot cheesecake directly into refrigerator and chill 6 hours or overnight.

Topping: Stir all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil 3 minutes. Press mixture through sieve over large bowl. Spoon warm topping over cold cake. Spread evenly. Cool until topping is set, at least 2 hours.

Cranberry Cake

1 egg
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (divided)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces fresh cranberries (2 cups)
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

Beat the egg; then add 1/2 cup sugar, milk, oil, orange juice and extract; mix and set aside.

Combine 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture and mix. Pour into the prepared pan.

Chop the fresh cranberries in a blender or a food processor; spoon over batter.

Mix the remaining 1/2 cup flour the 3 tablespoons sugar and cut in 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle over cranberries. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve warm sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.

Candy Cane Cheesecake

1 1/3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
24 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup crushed peppermint candy

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine first 3 ingredients and press into a 9-inch springform pan.

Blend sour cream, sugar, eggs, flour and both extracts until smooth. Add cream cheese and the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in crushed candy. Pour into crust and bake on lowest rack of oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until firm. Allow to cool (top may crack) and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from pan and serve. Top with sweetened whipped cream and garnish with candy cane if desired.

Italian Fruitcakes with Frangelico Chocolate Sauce

Source: Bon Appetit December 1999

Fruitcakes
3 cups hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped
12 ounces diced Calimyrna figs
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet
    chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 cups Frangelico (or more)
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Sauce
12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet
    chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup Frangelico
Whipped cream (optional)

Fruitcakes: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour 12 miniature Bundt molds or 12 oversize muffin cups (each about 1-cup capacity).

Toss nuts, figs, chocolate and ginger in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1/4 cup Frangelico and orange peel (mixture may look curdled).

Sift both flours and salt over batter; mix in. Stir in nut and fruit mixture. Divide batter among molds. Bake cakes until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 45 minutes (about 55 minutes if using muffin cups). Turn cakes out onto racks; brush with 1/4 cup liqueur. Cool cakes completely.

Cut out twelve 10-inch cheesecloth squares. Pour 1 1/2 cups liqueur into small bowl. Dip 1 square into liqueur; squeeze out some but not all liqueur. Wrap 1 cake in liqueur-soaked cheesecloth, then in foil. Repeat dipping and wrapping with remaining cakes, adding more liqueur if needed. Chill at least 1 week and up to 2 weeks.

Bring cakes to room temperature before serving.

Sauce: Stir chocolate, whipping cream and Frangelico in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and sauce is smooth. Arrange one cake on each plate. Drizzle with sauce. Pipe or spoon whipped cream alongside, if desired, and serve.

Makes 12.

Christmas Rainbow Poke Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
1 small box raspberry gelatin
1 small lime gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 (8 ounce) container non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Pour batter into 2 ( 8 or 9 x 1 1 1/2-inch) round pans (do not use pans with removable bottoms). Bake as directed; cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

Place cake layers, top side up, back in the 2 clean pans; prick each layer with utility fork at 1/2-inch intervals. Pour 1 cup of the boiling water over raspberry gelatin in bowl; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Spoon raspberry gelatin over 1 layer. Repeat with lime gelatin. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours.

Dip 1 layer in pan into warm water 10 seconds; invert on plate, gently shaking to loosen. Remove pan; spread layer with 1 cup of the whipped topping. Remove remaining layer from pan as above; invert on first layer. Remove pan; frost with remaining topping. Refrigerate; garnish with flattened green gumdrops, cut to resemble holly.

Rum and Eggnog Cheesecake

Crumb Crust
1 cup graham wafer crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling
1 envelope unflavored gelatine
1/4 cup light rum
1/4 cup boiling water
3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pound cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
Nutmeg

Crust: In a medium bowl, combine graham wafer crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press firmly into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Filling: In small bowl sprinkle gelatine over rum; let stand for 5 minutes. Add boiling water and stir until gelatine is dissolved.

In a small saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in gelatine mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl with electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, gelatine mixture and vanilla extract until smooth. Chill 20 to 30 minutes or until partially set.

Beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks; beat in 1/4 cup sugar until mixture holds stiff peaks.

In a small bowl whip 1/2 cup whipping cream until thick. Fold egg whites, then whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Pour over prepared crust. Chill until set, several hours or overnight.

To serve, whip remaining cream and spread over top, sprinkle with nutmeg.

Makes 10 servings.

Holiday Whiskey Cake

Source: Readers Digest

Southern grandmas used the finest bourbon to make this old-fashioned cake, which was often served during the holidays. The perfect whiskey cake is moist and dense with lots of nuts and sometimes raisins too.

2 cups raisins
2 cups chopped walnuts
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
4 large egg whites
1 large egg
1/2 cup bourbon, Scotch whiskey, or apple cider

Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan. To keep cake from overbrowning, line pan with parchment paper; lightly grease paper.

In a medium bowl, pour enough boiling water over the raisins to cover. Let stand for 30 minutes, or until water cools to room temperature; drain well.

In a medium bowl, toss drained raisins and walnuts with 1/2 cup of the flour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In another medium bowl, stir together the remaining 2 cups flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, cream the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy, scraping side of bowl often. Add the egg whites and beat well. Add the egg and beat well. Using a wooden spoon, stir in one-third of the flour mixture, then half of the bourbon. Repeat, then stir in the remaining flour mixture. Fold in the raisin mixture.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan; smooth the surface. Bake about 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan upright on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Using a narrow metal spatula, loosen sides of cake from the pan, then invert the cake onto the rack. Cool completely. Remove the paper.

Makes 20 servings.

Nutritional Information 1 serving: Calories 311 Total Fat 15g Saturated Fat 5g Protein 5g Carbohydrate 39g Fiber 2g Sodium 160mg Cholesterol 29mg